The Road to Dawn
by Ariana Aislinn
Summary: A new journey, with an unknown destination...Riku sets out to seek his destiny, accompanied by King Mickey. Meanwhile, others begin their own journeys, along winding paths that may, eventually, meet... An AU tale branching off from Chain of Memories.
1. The Path of Twilight

**_The Road to Dawn_**  
_By Ariana Aislinn_  
_Chapter 1: The Path of Twilight_

_Wow, a fic! Been a long time since I wrote anything, and this is my first Kingdom Hearts fic. Please enjoy, but beware of spoilers from Chain of Memories (including Reverse/Rebirth mode) and from the opening FMV to Kingdom Hearts 2. There won't be any other KH2 spoilers, as I haven't played it yet, and probably the entire fic will end up being AU when KH2 is released here, but oh well._

_Standard disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts and its characters are the property of Square-Enix and Disney, not me._

* * *

"Insolent brat!" The white hallway filled with ripples of darkness as the tall, imposing man gathered power into himself. White-haired but young and strong, Ansem's golden eyes narrowed at Riku as he prepared to unleash a final, desperate attack.

Riku panted; it had been a grueling battle. His black costume, trimmed with red, blue, and purple, bore traces of the darker red of his own blood in places where Ansem had broken through his defenses to strike. Still, though Riku could feel his strength flagging, relentlessly trickling away, he saw with triumph that Ansem's attack was a last ditch effort. The card-wrought manifestation of Ansem's dark spirit, which had still resided within Riku, was beginning to flicker as the man's strength gave out. Indeed, as Ansem struck with a wave of dark power, Riku brought up Soul Eater and used the sword to block the attack. As he suspected, it worked - the sword deflected the ebbing ripples of darkness, even as they knocked Riku back to skid along the smooth white tile of the floor.

"Ansem!" Mustering all the power he had left, Riku grasped at tendrils of power from deep within himself, from both the light and dark sides of his heart, and wove them together into a final, crushing attack. Grinning, he darted forward with a burst of speed, pushing the collected power into Soul Eater and striking Ansem. His momentum carried him past the seeker of darkness, his sword biting into the flickering image and passing completely through it. "You're finished!"

Ansem doubled over as his form began to flicker erratically, the dark power around him spiraling tightly inward. "Hardly…finished…" he panted, his eyes burning like flames, his mouth twisted into a rictus of a smile. "I gave you…the dark… My shadow…lingers…" The tight swirls of darkness exploded outward in a flash, striking at Riku in relentless waves with all of Ansem's remaining power. "I will return!" With that final cry, his form vanished into the growing darkness that filled the room.

Riku bit back a cry of his own. The darkness pounded at him, surrounding and enveloping him. He fought it, trying to breathe, but it pressed in on him, filling his mouth, his nose, his lungs. The oily, bitter taste was acrid on his tongue, and he coughed as the heavy, smoky smell overpowered him. He'd defeated Ansem, but the backlash might be more than he could take. Struggling to think, he fought as the darkness pressed more tightly all around him. The room had vanished; he could see nothing, feel no surface beneath his feet - all was darkness.

Suddenly a light appeared before his eyes. It was small, but bright, and Riku winced, blinking at it. The small, brilliant sphere looked familiar, and hope began to rise within him.

"I know you wanted to do this alone, but you don't mind a _little_ help, right?" Riku could hear the grin in the voice. Lost in the darkness, he felt relief wash through him as the light settled and flashed into a familiar form. Odd as the short, humanoid mouse was, Riku didn't know if he'd ever been so happy to see anyone in his life. Though he hadn't known the king long, he knew one thing for sure - you could trust him to keep his promises, as he had just proved. The king grinned. "Let's go, Riku." He motioned toward the direction from which he had come, where Riku could see a distant light. He nodded, and the two of them walked side by side, pressing through the darkness and reaching out to the light that beckoned. As they walked, everything flashed brightly around them, and the world became brilliant white.

When Riku's vision cleared, he looked around to see the familiar white stone hallway of Castle Oblivion. He breathed a heavy sigh of relief, grinning. As he looked around, he realized that this floor seemed different from the rest, including the one he had just come from - the doorway behind him did not lead down the stairway he had been climbing. Instead, heavy wooden double doors were closed tightly, but not barred.

Mickey grinned, looking around. He looked as resplendent as is possible for a short, mousy figure, garbed in red and black with gold trim. Despite his almost laughably small stature, he held himself with an unshakeable confidence that was infectious. He turned to Riku, smiling. "So, Riku…what's next? Are you going home?"

Riku pondered that before answering. His brief experience in the card world that mirrored Destiny Islands had shown him just how much he missed his home. As surprised as he had been to discover it, he'd found that his heart ached with longing to be back there again, to see his friends safe and near once more. Yet…things could not be the same. Maybe someday they might, but not yet - and even if he could go back to the way things had been, Riku wasn't at all sure he could find his way home to the islands. He wasn't even sure exactly where Castle Oblivion was, for that matter. "I don't know if I can." He blinked, realizing that he was once more clothed in the familiar yellow and blue outfit he'd always favored back home, rather than the dark garb of the Heartless. Still, for all that the outward representation was gone, a residue of some sort still lingered. He'd subdued it, but he could still tell it was there. Holding up his hand, he turned it slowly, examining it. To the eye, it looked perfectly normal, but he could feel the darkness below his skin, coursing in his veins. He wanted to rub off its oily touch, but knew that it would never come off so easily. "It's still there. His scent…it's faint, but not gone. I can't go home until it is." He sighed sadly. He may have vanquished Ansem's shadow, but until he was sure that the man and his influence would never return, he couldn't risk exposing his home to that kind of danger again. "His darkness may still have a hold on me…"

Mickey shrugged. "Your darkness belongs to you. Just like your light."

Riku blinked at him, confused. How did that make the taint any better?

The king grinned at Riku's hesitation. "Until now, I thought darkness was nothing but bad. But my time with you made me change my mind. You've chosen a road I never thought of. Light and dark, back to back. With you, they mingle in a way no one's ever seen before. I want to see where that road leads." He took a step toward Riku, holding out a white-gloved hand. "And if it's okay, I want to walk the road with you."

Riku stared at the hand for a moment, then clasped it with a grin. "Wow, Your Majesty. I don't know what to say…" He repressed a shiver, realizing how afraid he had been for a moment of being alone again, of walking the path he'd chosen by himself. "Thanks." He smiled warmly.

Shaking his hand firmly and then releasing it, the king laughed. "Oh, you don't have to call me that!"

Well, the decision to journey together made them comrades - in fact, now that Riku thought about it, it was much like Sora's alliance with the other two humanoid creatures that served this strange king. It would certainly be less awkward to dispense with the title. He laughed. "Fair enough, Mickey."

"There ya go, that's it!" Mickey grinned and gave him a thumbs up. "Now…do we leave right away?" He rested his chin on a fist for a moment, looking thoughtful. "I'm not sure there's anything for us here…the castle's masters have seemed to disappear one by one. I don't even know if anyone's left."

"Oh…there is." Riku looked behind him, to where a stairway spiraled upward. "Sora's still here."

"Oh, hey, you're right! But he's sleeping, isn't he? Do you want to wait for him to wake up?"

Riku smiled and shook his head slowly. "No…I don't think so. Who knows how long that might take? I mean, as much as I'd like to see him when he wakes up…I can't just sit around here. I'm…not entirely sure I'm ready to face him, if you know what I mean." Riku sighed. "Zexion pretended to be Sora and attacked me. For a while, I thought it was real - I thought that Sora would abandon me because I was tainted by the darkness. But when I thought about it, I realized, that's never been Sora's way. He kept trying to find me the whole time he was looking for Kairi, and when he was separated from her again, he came after me instead of trying to find his way back home. I know how much he wants to see her, but he knew she was safe now, so he came looking for me. Sora's a good friend. That's why…when I see him next, I want to be able to face him without the scent of darkness on me. I owe him that much." He looked back at the king, looking uncertain. "Uh…does that make any sense?"

Mickey laughed. "It makes perfect sense."

Riku grinned. "Yeah, and besides - Naminé is looking after him. Not that I know her very well or anything; I only talked to her for a few minutes. But…I get the feeling I can trust her. Sora will be safe with her watching over him, I know it. And when he wakes up, he'll find me - if I don't find him first. So I'm not worried."

"All right then! I guess it's settled." Mickey stepped forward and grabbed the handle to the heavy wooden door, tugging it open a few inches. He peered outside into the night-shrouded fields, then pulled his head back in, making a face. "It's a little chilly out there…"

Riku glanced around the room, a black shape catching his eye in the pristine white of the room. He walked closer to it, curious - why had he not noticed it before? On the wall next to the door were two ornate, white hooks. From them hung two black coats like the ones worn by Zexion, Lexaeus, and the others. Riku lifted one off its hook and examined it. It was made of fine, black leather, with a silver zipper that closed it all the way from its floor-length hem to the deep hood. "What about this?" Unzipping it, Riku put his arms into the sleeves and shrugged it on over his shoulders. It was just the right length. "Fits perfectly. It's also warm, and I bet it keeps the rain off pretty well, too." He zipped it up, then took down the other coat. Eyeing it momentarily, he noticed that it was much shorter. His curiosity rising, he handed it to Mickey.

"Well, whaddaya know…" The mouse quickly put on the shorter coat and zipped it up, finding that it was also a perfect fit. He pulled the hood over his head, and Riku noted that it was big enough to cover Mickey's overly large, black ears. "Someone seems to have known we would be leaving. Wonder why they left these for us?"

"Hmm. I just hope they don't expect this to mean we're joining them. I mean, I'll admit that I'm as interested in finding out the truth about the heart as anyone else, but I'm not joining anyone else until I know exactly what their purpose is. I learned my lesson from Ansem."

"Ya got a point there, pal. Well…let's be off!"

Riku nodded and followed Mickey out the heavy doors, into the darkened fields beyond.

The path was just wide enough for them to walk side by side, and it stretched seemingly endlessly over the fields and low hills. Riku couldn't help but wonder where it might lead them. For that matter, what world was this? Was there anything to it besides Castle Oblivion, and if so, how far would they have to go to find civilization? How might they get off this world? Riku wasn't too worried, however - if he'd been drawn to Castle Oblivion simply by his resonance with Sora and the Keyblade, he was sure he would be able to find his way, one way or another.

They walked in silence for a while, as the castle dwindled in size behind them. The road wound between rolling hills and shallow valleys, the endless grassy fields seeming to rise and fall like waves. After a while, another path appeared ahead, intersecting the road they were already on and creating a fork in the road. At the center of the crossroads, a tall figure waited. Standing tall, Riku strode forward, Mickey at his side, a suspicion forming.

His suspicion proved correct. DiZ stood there, waiting silently, his enigmatic face expressionless behind its concealing red bandages. They stopped a few paces away from him, and Riku leaned forward slightly, raising an eyebrow with a wry smile. "What are you making me choose now?" Every single time he had met this strange man so far, he had pushed Riku to make a decision of some sort - he saw no reason to expect anything different this time.

DiZ's voice was as expressionless as his face. "Will you take the road to light - or the road to darkness?" He indicated the two roads on his right and left. Riku didn't know which way might lead him toward whatever destination he sought, but he was sure DiZ was being purely metaphorical. Still, it was a valid question - though Riku had an answer he thought might surprise the strange man.

"Neither." Mickey peered at Riku curiously as the boy walked toward DiZ. Riku continued past him, following the road straight ahead. "I'm taking the middle road."

Riku heard DiZ's voice behind him. "You mean the twilit road to nightfall?"

Twilight indeed. Looking ahead, Riku could see the horizon showing traces of rosy light. "No…" He turned around and quirked a smile at DiZ. "The road to dawn."

DiZ still faced away from Riku, but he thought he could almost detect an air of amusement from the man. "Perhaps so. We shall see, won't we Riku?" And with that, he vanished.

"Comes and goes awful quick, doesn't he?" Mickey hurried to catch up with Riku. "Still, I wish I knew where I'd met him before. Feels like an itch I can't scratch, wondering about it. Guess I'll figure it out eventually though."

Riku grinned. "Yeah, I'm sure you will."

"So, didja mean that? I mean, following this road. I don't think DiZ meant it literally, about where the roads lead. You think this is the best way?"

Riku shrugged. "Seems about as good as any, don't you think?"

"Heh! I s'pose you're right. Off we go, then!" The two continued to walk.

"Although…to be honest, I'm really not sure what that is," Riku admitted, embarrassed. "I saw the light on the horizon as soon as we crested the hill there, but I don't actually know if it's dawn, or dusk. I don't even know how long I was in the castle. It could have been hours, or days, for all I know."

Mickey peered at the horizon. "Looks like dawn t'me. I think the air was darker a bit ago, and now look - the sky's starting to go from dark blue to a bit grayish." He eyed Riku. "But whatever it is, I'm thinkin' it's time to stop."

"Stop?" Riku raised an eyebrow. "But we've hardly been walking fifteen minutes. Don't you think we ought to make some progress before we take a break?"

Mickey grinned, poking Riku in the forearm. "Nah. Our destination's not goin' anywhere, and we don't even know what it is, for that matter! You said yourself you don't know how long you were in the castle. And to be honest, I don't know how long I was in the realm of darkness. I don't know about you, but gettin' myself to the castle and blockin' Ansem for you really took it out of me. I think we should stop and take a rest."

"Maybe you're right." Now that the king mentioned it, Riku could feel the bone-weariness he'd been pushing away for who knew how long. It crept through his limbs slowly but steadily, and he knew it wouldn't be long before he'd be forced to stop anyway.

The two of them settled off the side of the road a little ways, curling up in the soft grass with the hoods of their coats for pillows. Riku didn't know about Mickey, but as for himself, he was asleep within seconds of laying his head down.

* * *

_To be continued! Chapter 2 will be up...sometime. I'm not precisely sure what will happen yet, so it depends._


	2. Morning Light

**_The Road to Dawn_**  
_By Ariana Aislinn_  
_Chapter 2: Morning Light_

_Chapter 2 is here! By the way, if anyone is interested, I could use a beta reader. I'm not entirely pleased with this chapter, and I think it'd help to get some feedback on the next before I post it. Just drop me a PM or mention it in a review if you're interested. Chapter 3 should be forthcoming shortly...I finally got an idea for the direction the story might take, so I'll probably write that up sometime in the next couple days._

_Standard disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts and its characters are the property of Square-Enix and Disney, not me._

* * *

Everything was dark. The darkness closed in on Riku, almost tangibly oppressive. He found it difficult to breathe. Huddled in on himself, he wrapped his arms around his shoulders and shivered. He listened carefully, but there was no sound, only his own ragged breathing.

After a while, a distant glimmer of light appeared, slowly growing as it became clearer. It was a beach - a sunlit beach of golden-white sand, lined with palm trees. Along that beach ran several familiar figures, laughing - Tidus and Wakka tossed a ball back and forth, and Selphie ran circles around them, trying to distract them from their game. As Riku watched, Kairi approached them, waving. They stopped their game and waved back eagerly, running to join her.

"They look happy, don't they?"

Riku looked up, seeing Sora standing next to him. "Sora! Where did you -"

Sora waved a hand dismissively. "Doesn't matter. I'm not staying, anyway." He took a few steps towards the distant vision, waving over his shoulder casually. "Bye, Riku. Too bad you can't come."

"Wait!" Riku stood, stretching out a hand for his friend, but he found his feet rooted to the spot. Looking down, he saw tendrils of darkness wrapping around his ankles like chains. He struggled against them, but Sora continued to walk, his feet finally stepping from the misty darkness onto golden sand. Laughing, he ran to join the others, who waved excitedly to greet him. The vision began to fade, its light fading with it, as Riku struggled. "Don't go! Wait, I'll be there as soon as I get free!" But the vision continued to fade until it vanished entirely.

Riku sank into a crouch, his eyes stinging. Folding his arms over his knees, he buried his face in them. He was alone again, alone in a darkness so complete he wondered if he might ever find the light again. Sora was gone, Kairi was gone, his other friends from the island, his parents - he'd lost everyone and everything. What was left to him?

The darkness was bad enough, but the cold that began to spread through Riku was something else. His loneliness was a sharp pain in his heart, and he could not stop shivering. Somehow the darkness was more terrifying - could he face it alone? He had insisted on doing everything alone before, on trying to save Kairi by himself, and to do so he had used the darkness - which had, of course, led to his downfall. He wasn't sure he could stand being alone again.

"No!" he yelled suddenly, throwing his head back.

* * *

Riku awoke slowly, as if swimming up out of his dreams. He blinked blearily, looking around at the meadow and wondering just where he was. For a while there was only confusion, but presently he took a deep breath and burrowed his head deeper into his hood. "It was just a dream," he whispered. He shivered, but not with cold. After a moment, he raised his head to look over and reassure himself that Mickey was still there.

He was. In fact, he was sitting up and looking at Riku, a concerned expression on his face. "You okay, pal?"

"Oh, uh…" Riku flushed, embarrassed. "I'm all right. Just a bad dream."

The king smiled. "Not too surprisin'. Some of the stuff ya see in the realm of darkness - well, it'd give you enough nightmares to last a lifetime, I'll bet. You've only been asleep maybe an hour. See, it's getting lighter - I think the sun'll be rising any time now. Better get some more sleep, though - I think we both need it."

Riku nodded. "You're probably right."

"Think you can sleep now?"

He smiled. "Yeah, I think so. Just had to remind myself I'm not alone. It…helps, a bit."

Mickey grinned. "Yeah, I'm right here, pal." He covered a huge yawn with a gloved hand. "Not that I'll be awake…I was just about to fall asleep myself. Well, g'night, then! Or good morning, as the case may be."

Riku nodded, then rolled over and pulled the coat more tightly around himself. He was facing east now, and he could see the golden-pink glow on the horizon that promised sunrise was only moments away. Suppressing a yawn, Riku watched it in silence.

The sun rose slowly, gently spilling its light across the meadows and tingeing everything in rosy gold. The sharp chill of the early morning air softened a little as Riku felt the tiniest bit of warmth touch his face. He closed his eyes, breathing deeply and settling back with a soft sigh.

The light felt good.

A loud snore emitted from behind him. Riku couldn't help but grin at that. He didn't have long to worry about the snoring though, because exhaustion washed over him again, and sleep took him before long. He lapsed back into unconsciousness as the sun's light spread across the fields. This time, he did not dream.

* * *

When Riku awoke the second time, the sun was high in the sky. A small stand of bushes nearby shaded him from the full strength of the light, but nevertheless, his coat felt very warm, the black leather having soaked up the heat of the sun. Riku yawned and sat up, unzipping the coat and flapping it a little to fan himself.

"Morning! How ya feeling?" Mickey sat a little ways off, scribbling in a small notebook.

Riku grinned. "A lot better, actually. I still feel kind of tired, but…I really needed that sleep."

"I'm not surprised! If you think about it, what have you been up to recently? First, running around the universe using dark powers and trying to do everything single-handedly, then being controlled by Ansem, then getting locked up in Kingdom Hearts with me, where time just doesn't work much like it does in other worlds. On top of that, you got pulled to Castle Oblivion, where we know time plays tricks on you along with everything else, and when was the last time you got a decent sleep? You earned it, if you ask me!"

Riku chuckled a little, trying not to tense as Mickey chronicled his recent experiences. It was all true, that was what had happened, and he'd better get used to it. There was absolutely no blame in the king's voice, and for that Riku was infinitely grateful.

Riku went to go sit beside the mouse. "So…what do we do now?"

"Hmm." Mickey tapped his nose with his pen. "Well, seems t'me the first order of business is breakfast!"

At the mere mention of the word, Riku's stomach growled loudly. He flushed a little. Mickey laughed. "Thought so. Just as we both needed some sleep, it's been a long time since the last decent meal, hasn't it?"

"But where are we going to find food around here? Unless you've got some with you, I don't see a lot - just grass and trees."

"It's a problem, that's for sure. But I've got a feelin' that if we just keep walkin', we'll come across something soon enough. This road can't go on forever, right?"

Riku would have made a cynical comment that for all they knew, it might, but the king's grin was far too cheerful. He couldn't help but smile back a little bit. "I guess you're right. Well, since we haven't got much else to do, let's keep walking."

"Right." The king closed his notebook, stuck the pen in its spiral binding, and secured both in one of his coat pockets. The two of them stood and began walking eastward along the path.

"So, can I ask what you're writing?" Riku gestured at Mickey's pocket.

"Oh, that? A habit I picked up while traveling by myself. After all, I left home to try to figure out a mystery. When ya haven't got anyone to talk to about it, it helps to write down your thoughts."

"So what thoughts have you had? You could tell me, now that we're traveling together." Riku laced his fingers behind his head as they walked, enjoying the late morning sun.

"All right, then. Well - I was wondering this morning, just what happened when we closed the door to darkness?"

Riku pondered that for a moment. "Well, what was supposed to happen? The darkness was sealed, and the Heartless stopped overrunning the worlds, right? And the worlds that had been destroyed were restored, weren't they? Like…my island." He glanced sidelong at the king. "It…was restored, wasn't it?"

"Oh, yes, I'm sure it was. All the vanished worlds would've returned. But everyone was supposed to return to their own worlds, too, and we didn't," Mickey pointed out. "Sora didn't, and neither did Goofy or Donald. There's a reason for that, of course - I'm thinkin' it's mostly because we all have unfinished business. But it makes me wonder - are the barriers between the worlds really restored? They can't be entirely, or we couldn't have gotten to this place from the realm of darkness."

"I suppose that makes sense. But how _did_ you get here, anyway? I still don't quite get that. For that matter, I don't know how _I_ got here!"

"Oh, I've been thinkin' 'bout that, too. I think you came here because Sora was here."

Riku blinked. "But…if it were that easy, how come we didn't find each other right away after our island was destroyed? Why couldn't I find Kairi? You can't just think about your friends and appear next to them!"

"Nope! But you two've been through a lot. You're both Keyblade masters - even though you're just a potential one. You have a part to play, a purpose for the light, I'm sure."

"So, what, is this some sort of destiny crap?" Riku grinned.

"Call it what you like! But I'll just betcha that you and Sora will end up working together again before long. He's your friend, and he's stuck by you, right?"

"Well, yeah. Even when…well, after all I did, I sure wouldn't have blamed him if he'd abandoned me. But he didn't."

Mickey grinned. "That's right! And maybe because of that, the two of you have a bond that brought you here. The Keyblade might have something to do with it, too, but I'm not sure. Still, that's how I got here - at least partly. I focused on the Keyblade when I was trying to get to you from the realm of darkness." A silver handle appeared in Mickey's hand, and the Keyblade glinted golden in the sunlight before it vanished again.

"Oh yeah, your Keyblade!" Riku blinked. "I'd almost forgotten about that. So much was happening, and then my memory goes blank shortly after we closed the door - but I do remember you using your Keyblade to seal it. But…how many Keyblades are there? I thought there was supposed to be just one."

"You've seen another too, though, right?" Mickey pointed out. "In fact, you - or I should say, Ansem made it."

"…Yeah. The black Keyblade." Riku thought for a moment. "I don't actually remember a whole lot of that. I mean, I remember what it was, and what it was supposed to be for, but not…how, or why. Was it…well, real, or just a dark imitation?"

Mickey shrugged. "There's two Keyblades - mine, and Sora's. What Ansem made was something else, though it worked kinda the same in some ways. I don't really get it myself, yet. It's one of the things I've been tryin' to figure out. Believe it or not, I still have just as many questions about the Keyblades as you or Sora, I bet!"

"Heh. Nothing but more questions, huh?" Riku sighed. "Well, hopefully we'll find at least a few answers on this journey." He eyed the path ahead of them, which wound slowly up a tall hill. "Wonder if there's anything beyond that hill, or just more fields."

"Well, we won't find out unless we keep goin', right?" Mickey grinned again.

Riku smiled back. "I guess you're right."

They continued to walk, in no particular hurry, but not dawdling, either. Whether there was anything ahead or not, they certainly weren't going to get answers or fill their stomachs by waiting around.

After a few minutes, they crested the top of the hill. Riku smiled as a bit of breeze ruffled his hair - it felt good. He looked down, then whistled low as his aqua-green eyes widened. "Well, would you look at that…"

* * *

_Aaaaand there you go. Chapter 2. When I wrote it, I cheated - I actually didn't know what they saw over the hill. But I waited on uploading the chapter until I could reread it and decide whether to keep it or not, and I think it isn't bad - and now I know what's going to happen next. :P Good plan generally, when you're writing. So, next chapter up soon._

_Also, reviews make me feel warm and squishy inside._


	3. Gateway

**_The Road to Dawn_**  
_By Ariana Aislinn_  
_Chapter 3: Gateway_

_Wow, chapter 3 already? Well, I had an idea, and then it almost seemed to start writing itself, once I settled on the setting. Ever find yourself blessed with characters that are really fun and easy to write? Well, that's what happened here. I decided to post it right away since I'm so pleased with it, and I figured my readers would appreciate it. More is coming very soon, but this seemed like a good place for a chapter break. Watch for chapter 4 shortly._

_Standard disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts and its characters are the property of Square-Enix and Disney, not me._

* * *

The path wound away down the hillside, moving steadily down to a long beach. Gray-blue waves lapped against the shore, and nestled on the edge of a little harbor was a small, seaside town. The town itself was not that impressive, though it did seem charming in a way, with old-world style buildings of simple architecture. What Riku found most interesting was the sheer number and variety of ships docked in the harbor. For an inlet that small, it was hard to believe so many ships could fit.

There were little rowboats, modestly sized yachts, a couple large, three-masted sailing vessels, and just about everything in between. Further out along the horizon, Riku could see the sails of more ships out on the water. A few did not appear to use sails - there were smokestacks on one or two ships, indicating some variation in technology in this place.

"Well, you gonna stand there staring all day?" Mickey grinned. "If nothing else, I think we've found breakfast. Come on!"

"Right behind you!" Shaking himself, Riku stopped peering down at the distant figures bustling around the docks and hurried after the king.

It took perhaps about twenty minutes to make their way down to the little town. There did not seem to be any other travelers on the road, but once they reached the town's outskirts, it certainly seemed busy enough. People dressed in a wide variety of clothing hurried from place to place, vendors cried their wares, and shop doors stood wide open as a variety of interesting smells wafted through the air. Sea-salt was prevalent, of course, and Riku thought he could detect the scent of fish on the air as well. He took a deep, appreciative breath as they passed a bakery. "Hey, Your - I mean, Mickey - any chance of something from in there?"

"Let's find out!" Mickey headed for the bakery door, rummaging in a pocket. "I've got some money - let's see if they'll accept it. Last I checked, though, silver was pretty much valued on any world. We'll find out soon enough."

Sure enough, the shopkeeper, dressed in a simple blue peasant's dress with a flour-dusted apron, was all too happy to accept the coins Mickey pressed in her hand, even though they bore markings that were unfamiliar to her. As they exited the little shop, Riku bit into a light, flaky, raspberry-filled pastry, closing his eyes and savoring the taste with delight. "Wow…I had no idea just how hungry I really was."

"Mmf…" Mickey swallowed a bite of his own pastry, shifting his hold on the sack containing a couple more rolls and things for later on. "How long has it been since you last ate?"

Riku shrugged. "I…honestly don't know. Toward the end there, with the dark powers, I kind of stopped eating - or sleeping, to be honest. I felt like the darkness was all the energy I needed." He shuddered slightly. "It's almost like a drug, you know? Keeps you from hearing what your body's telling you. So really, I have no idea when I last ate something. It's certainly been a while since my last actual meal, I know that. I mean, Maleficent fed me well while I was staying at Hollow Bastion, but…" He made a face. "It was sort of like being a prized pet, if you know what I mean. Maleficent's own little pedigree hunting dog."

"Well, you sure are wolfing it down now!" Mickey grinned at the terrible joke, eyeing Riku as the boy licked the crumbs from his fingers.

Riku made a face. "I notice you didn't waste any time in finishing your breakfast either, now did you?"

"Sure didn't!" Mickey laughed. "Well, let's see…what's next? We could stock up on some more supplies, but first we'd better figure out where we're going and how we're going to get there. There's no shortage of transportation, but we'll have to make sure it'll get us somewhere useful. And while a baker woman might accept a silver coin readily, I dunno if a ship's captain would be as willing to take what I've got to pay our fares."

Riku nodded. "Toward the docks, then?"

"Yup. Want a roll?"

Riku accepted the fresh bread and eagerly tore it in half, popping a warm chunk of it into his mouth as they walked.

The people all around were certainly dressed in a variety of clothing. Riku saw plain robes, tunics and hose, ornately embroidered fitted vests, simple shirts and cut-off shorts, sundresses, halter tops, overalls, hoopskirts, and everything else imaginable. There seemed to be no set standard for formality or modesty, and hardly anyone glanced twice at anyone else's clothing - aside from the occasional appreciative whistle from one of the many sailors that walked by, when they glanced a particularly lovely, somewhat scantily clad woman. No one was dressed quite like Riku or Mickey, however - though the two of them walked with their coats unzipped and their hoods thrown back, they still had a vaguely sinister look to them, as if they were shrouded in secrets. One or two people glanced at them, whispering to a companion briefly before looking away, but otherwise they did not invite much attention.

"I wonder if they've seen clothes like these before?" Riku pondered.

"Possibly. Maybe those Organization fellas have been here before, too. After all, Castle Oblivion is less than a day's walk from here, and they've gotta get supplies from _somewhere._"

"I suppose you're right." Riku grinned. "Even dark forces of the conspiracy have to eat too! I can just imagine them sending someone out periodically with a grocery list - 'Don't forget the toilet paper this time, or no evil plotting for a week!'" Riku chuckled, Mickey joining in with a hearty guffaw.

"Or toothpaste. My colleagues get testy when they can't keep their sinister smiles all bright and shiny."

Riku whirled around, taking a defensive stance as he recognized a familiar black coat leaning against a building to his left. The figure was in the building's shadow, but otherwise not hiding. His coat was zipped up but his hood was back. Riku stood warily, unwilling to draw his sword in the middle of a crowded street, but he kept his guard up. "And who are you supposed to be?"

The man chuckled, tossing an apple up and down in his right hand, his left hand resting casually on his waist. He was tall and thin, with a shock of extremely spiky, somewhat long, fiery red hair. On his face he wore two stylized teardrops, tattooed or possibly applied with makeup below his eyes, and a sardonic grin. "Good question. Who am I supposed to be…and who am I? They're likely not the same thing at all."

Riku groaned. "I hate riddles. Why do you people seem to be so enamored of them?"

Mickey took a step forward. "Are you one of the Organization too?"

The man shifted on his feet, stepping away from the wall and stretching lazily. He took a bite of his apple, swallowed, and waved the apple in the air. "Yep, I suppose you could say that. My name's Axel. I hear you met a few of my…associates." He grinned. "And by the way, might I compliment you on your wonderful fashion sense?"

Riku scowled. "I don't suppose it was you who provided the coats, was it?"

Axel made a mock bow. "At your service!"

"Care to explain why?"

The man's eyes widened in feigned innocence. "Does one really need a reason to do a favor? And assuming I did, whyever would I tell you? It's much more fun to keep you wondering."

Riku bit back a retort, though he couldn't help but growl a little under his breath. Mickey put a hand on his forearm to calm him, stepping forward. The two moved a little closer to Axel to get out of the crowd that was jostling them from behind. "So, Axel, you say?" Mickey nodded. "Pleased to meetcha, but what do ya want with us? Beg your pardon, but if you really needed to talk to us, you could've done it at the castle, right?"

Axel shrugged. "Maybe I wanted to have a discussion in a more…relaxed setting. Maybe I didn't see the need to share a little chat with any other intimidating figures. Or maybe I just wanted to show you something." He took another bite of his apple.

Riku raised an eyebrow. "Show us something? Like what, your skill with a blade?"

Axel laughed. "Not a bad idea, but I'm still kind of sore from my bout with your spiky-haired friend. It's tempting, though…I've heard stories about you. It'd be interesting to see what you've got, especially after you defeated your fake. He was pretty impressive himself."

"Oh, you heard about that, did you?" Riku shook his head. "Well, if you don't mind, I'm not enjoying this conversation much. Why don't you just get to the point or leave us alone?"

"Cool it, pal," Mickey said under his breath to Riku. "Just relax now." He turned to Axel and spoke up. "No offense, but we're awful tired and we have some pressing business, so if you really need to talk to us, could ya just tell us what's up?"

Axel cocked his head to one side. "Oh, well, if you're going to spoil my fun." He gestured to the city streets around them, sweeping outward with the arm that held his half-finished apple. "Behold, the charming little port town of Gateway! A bit like Traverse Town in some ways, but older and smaller. People don't usually come here as refugees, but they do tend to…slip in through the cracks once in a while. They come and they go, but most don't stay long. You've seen the ships in the harbor. They go to all parts of this world, which is a fairly medium-sized place as such things go, but some also go…elsewhere."

Mickey blinked. "Elsewhere? Whaddaya mean?"

"Now don't tell me you haven't wondered. The worlds were restored, yet not everything returned to its original state, now did it? Otherwise you, kingy, would be on your throne, and you, my dear Riku, would be building sand castles with your friends, now wouldn't you?" Riku ground his teeth together; Axel's grin was getting more annoying by the second. "The barriers have been restored, that's true, but there are…cracks. There always have been, but they're a bit bigger now than they were before this all began." He laughed. "Now there's a riddle for you. When _did_ all this begin, anyway?"

"Are we going to stand in the street all day, or are you going to get to the point?" Riku folded his arms irritably across his chest.

"Goodness, a bit touchy, aren't we? Well, all right then, kid. Here's the deal. I found something I think belongs to your royal friend there, and you might want to see it. So are you going to come with me, or am I far too scary and imposing to take a short walk with?"

"Something of mine?" Mickey piped up. "What are you talking about? I don't seem to recall having lost anything…" He scratched his head, thinking.

"Well, only one way to find out. You coming or not?"

Riku glanced at Mickey and shrugged. "Up to you, Your Majesty."

"That's Mickey, to you, remember?"

"Yeah, but not to him." Riku jerked his head toward Axel. "Just showing proper respect, since he apparently needs a good example."

Axel threw back his head and laughed. "Oh, that's rich. You, lecturing me about showing respect? Come on now, just make a decision. I haven't got all day. Like I said, gotta get some toothpaste before I leave town." He grinned and finished off his apple as he waited for their answer.

Mickey leaned over and whispered, "Why not, Riku? I'm sure there's no danger from him in the middle of this town, and after all, there's two of us and one of him. Besides, he mentioned Sora, didn't he? Maybe he knows something that we could use."

"Hmm. You've got a point." Riku eyed the man out of the corner of his eye; Axel was still grinning at him. "I don't like him at all, but just so long as we're on our guard… All right, let's go with him."

Mickey nodded and turned to Axel. "Go ahead, lead the way to whatever it is you say I've lost. Not sure what it could be, but I guess we'll hafta see when we get there, right?"

"You got it." Axel chucked his apple core into a nearby waste barrel, which was stenciled with the words "Thank You!" in cheery looking lettering. He turned and strode off down the street, not looking to see if the other two were following. Muttering under his breath, Riku hurried to catch up. He reached under his coat and touched the hilt of Soul Eater, which hung from his belt, to reassure himself that it was still there. He didn't like this…

Mickey, on the other hand, seemed alert, but relatively unconcerned. In fact, he whistled idly as they followed Axel through the winding streets. Riku wondered if anything could faze the mouse.

* * *

_Oh, how I love Axel. He's just so much fun - even if I can't figure out myself if he's good or evil, or what, exactly. But seriously, I could have kept him and Riku sniping at each other verbally for pages. You're just lucky I finally decided to advance the plot! Anyway, stay tuned to find out just where Axel's taking them. Next chapter up...not sure when, but likely tonight or tomorrow. Depends on if this rush of inspiration keeps up..._


	4. Cracks in the Barrier

**_The Road to Dawn_**  
_By Ariana Aislinn_  
_Chapter 4: Cracks in the Barriers_

_Chapter 4 arrives. Not much else to say here, as I'm sleepy. Hope everyone continues to enjoy it. I'm having lots of fun writing it._

_Standard disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts and its characters are the property of Square-Enix and Disney, not me._

* * *

Axel led them through the town, heading in the general direction of the harbor, but also veering off a little to the south side of the town. Riku remained tense as they walked, but he had to admit he was also curious. What could Axel want to show them?

Eventually they came upon a large building at the northern edge of the docks, something like a warehouse. Axel stopped in front of the door and shifted his weight to one foot, a hand resting lazily on his hip. "Well, here we are."

Mickey looked around. "What is this building?"

"You may have noticed that the ships and vessels in the harbor are of many different types. Well, that's not the only kind of vessel that finds its way to this place. Many of the others are kept in this warehouse - vessels with no owners, or ones that no one knows how to work."

Mickey's eyes lit up. "You don't mean…"

Axel opened the door and waved him in. The king hurried into the huge building eagerly.

"Hey, wait!" Riku hurried after him. "What's going on?" He turned to glare at Axel, who only grinned back with mock innocence and followed them inside.

The warehouse was dimly lit by flickering, artificial lighting, as if no one was precisely sure how to keep it in proper repair. The place was huge, and it was filled with rows of strange vehicles of all sorts. Riku walked over to peer at something that looked vaguely like a bicycle, but it appeared to have no wheels - instead there was a flat plate of some sort, and a mass of machinery near the back. It seemed to be turned off, yet it hovered silently in the air, about six inches off the ground. Riku shook his head; there certainly seemed to be some strange things here.

"It's here!" Riku looked up at the king's shout, then hurried to join him. He came upon the mouse throwing cardboard boxes out of the way to reveal a doorway. The vessel was mostly obscured by the surrounding debris, but Riku eyed the door curiously - it had a strange, matte finish, unlike metal or any sort of building material he was familiar with. He approached, putting a hand to the door; it was vaguely sticky to the touch, though it left no residue on his skin. The door was primarily red in color, though it was set in a silvery frame.

Mickey opened the door and clambered inside. Riku peered hesitantly in, looking up the narrow stairs that went up into the darkened vessel. "Mickey, what is this?"

"Haven't you ever seen a gummi ship before?" He could hear the grin in Mickey's voice. "Come on up! It may look a little odd, but it's real cozy in here."

Riku shrugged and sighed, but climbed in, ducking his head down slightly to keep from hitting it on the low ceiling. The ship had clearly been built with someone of the king's stature in mind. As he made his way up the steps, some lights flickered on. Inside, gummi blocks, mostly red and blue in color, showed through on the walls, but instruments and other sorts of material also lined them. At the top of the steps, a narrow hallway led toward the back of the ship in one direction and the cockpit in the other. Riku went on up to the cockpit to join Mickey, who was in the pilot's seat, doing some sort of equipment check. A low hum began to build from somewhere down below.

"Great, it's working just fine!" Mickey grinned, looking excited. "I thought I'd lost this forever, after I got sucked into Kingdom Hearts."

"Which reminds me, you'll have to tell me the story of how you ended up there someday."

"What? Oh, yeah, of course. Could take a while, though - it's a long one. We'll save it for later. For now, I want to finish making sure this baby is good to go." Mickey patted the control panel. "Good to have you back, Apprentice!"

"…Apprentice?" Riku blinked. "You named your ship Apprentice?"

"Well - yeah!" Mickey glanced sidelong at Riku. "Why, is there something wrong with that?"

"Nah." Riku chuckled. "It just seems…a little unusual, that's all. How's it looking?"

"So far, everything checks out." Mickey leaned over to peer at the instrument panels. "No damage, no problems or disrepair…we could probably leave anytime."

"Ah, but where would you go?"

Riku whirled, scowling, to see Axel leaning against the cockpit doorway, arms folded across his chest and that same sardonic grin plastered across his face. "I figured you weren't done pestering us. What are you doing here?"

"For shame, Riku! Is that any way to thank me for doing the two of you a favor?" He shook his head, clicking his tongue disapprovingly. "What _would_ your mother say? And I do believe you wanted to teach _me_ some respect!" He laughed.

"Oh, enough with the games, already." Riku sighed. "Not that I'm not grateful to you for finding the ship and bringing us to it, but…what's the catch?"

Mickey nodded in agreement. "Forgive me, but I can't help but feel there's more to this. Why not just show us where the warehouse was and leave it at that?"

"I thought you might like to know what your choices were first, that's all." Axel shrugged. "It won't be as easy as you seem to think."

Riku sighed heavily. "Great, more choices. Does this guy think he's DiZ or something?"

A strange look sparked in Axel's eyes as Riku mentioned the name, but a moment later he shook it off and continued, stepping forward to approach the control panel. He tapped the navigational screen. "You have your ship back, yes. But what happens after you take off? Where do you intend to go, and how do you plan to get there?"

Riku and Mickey looked at each other. "To be honest…I dunno," Mickey admitted. "We have some mysteries to solve, but where do we start?"

Riku thought for a moment. "…Seems to me we need to do some research. We should find out everything we can about the doors, the Keyblades, the darkness and the light…whatever we can get our hands on. The best place might be…a library, perhaps?"

Mickey nodded. "I can think of a couple. My castle, for example - though Hollow Bastion is sure to have some books, maybe from Ansem's private collection, that could help us."

Riku turned again to look at Axel suspiciously, regretting for a moment discussing their plans in front of him. "Why do you care?"

Axel grinned again. "Oh, I suppose it doesn't affect me directly…but it would be amusing to see you try to start out and find your navigation gummis failing as soon as you reached a high altitude."

"Why won't they work?" asked Mickey. "It's because of the barriers, right?"

"But you spoke of cracks in those barriers," Riku pointed out.

"I did indeed. The question is, how do you find them?" Axel jabbed a finger toward Riku. "And do you have the courage to face them?"

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

"I think - " Mickey said slowly - "it means that those cracks aren't easily passed. Axel, you said that they've been around a long time, but they've grown since the door to darkness was opened. Am I right?"

Axel nodded. "They have indeed. As the darkness grew, so did the cracks. They were largely sealed with the closing of the door, but the darkness had bored greater holes in them, holes that might be passed by a vessel such as yours."

"But…?" Riku pressed.

"However…" Axel grinned. "You'll have to pass through the darkness to get through those holes."

Mickey blinked. "Through the darkness? Hmm, not sure I like the sound of that…what would happen if we tried?"

"Well, I guess you'll just have to find out, won't you?" Axel chuckled. "That is, if you dare."

Riku rounded on him, hands clenching into fists. "Are you calling me a coward?"

"I don't know, am I?" Axel's green eyes were disconcertingly piercing. "Why, do you feel like a coward? Maybe that's a question you need to ask yourself. But before you get all up in arms about it, I already told you, I'm not interested in a fight today. As I said, I'm just here to tell you what your choices are. You are the ones that will have to make them." He grinned yet again. "However…if you're interested in taking a rain check, I'll promise you a match someday. That is, if you're that keen to face me."

"Ha!" Riku tossed his hair back. "I can take anything you dish out, fire-hair."

Axel's eyes narrowed. "Can you indeed? I wonder." He turned to Mickey. "I will let you make your decision, mouse king. You and hothead here, that is. Have fun!" With a mocking wave of his hand, he vanished into thin air.

Mickey sighed. "Didn't get to thank him properly. Or throttle him, one or the other." He glanced at Riku, who was still seething. "I can guess which one you'd prefer, though! Calm down, pal. He's gone, and getting all riled up won't help anythin'."

Riku took a deep breath and sighed, slumping into the copilot's seat. "I guess you're right. It's just…why did it have to be the darkness again?" He leaned forward, resting his forehead in his hands. "I wish I could just take a break from having to constantly face it, again and again…"

"Well, pal, I'm startin' to get the feeling that that's your fate, at least for a while. Besides, if you never test yourself, how're you ever going to grow? You gotta challenge yourself if you want to get rid of the scent of darkness, like you told me you were gonna do."

"…Eh. Maybe you're right." Riku lifted his head, glancing at the navigational panel. "So what's our move going to be?"

"Hmm." Mickey stroked his chin thoughtfully with a gloved hand. "I think Hollow Bastion might be our best bet for information, but if we can, I really think I need to stop back at Disney Castle first. Minnie's gotta be worried sick about me."

"Minnie?"

"Oh…" Mickey blushed a little bit. "Queen Minnie. My wife." He grinned. "Sweetest lady you'll ever find!"

Riku chuckled. "Didn't know you were married. Heh, go figure." He looked out the viewport, gazing out at the debris-strewn warehouse but not really seeing it. "I think I might know a little bit how you feel, though."

"Yeah…you've got another friend waiting, haven't you?"

Riku nodded. "But…that's for later. Kairi's safe now, and besides…I don't want her to see me. Not like this." He sighed. "Last she heard of me, I'd…well, after all the terrible things I did, it's going to take some time to put it all right. Besides…we couldn't go to Destiny Islands, could we?"

Mickey shook his head apologetically. "Not unless you've got a navi-gummi you've been hiding from me."

"Oh well." Riku shrugged and forced a bit of a grin. "So…Disney Castle, you said?"

"Yup! Now let's see, first we need to get the ship out of this place and connect it to a launch area if possible…not sure if they have one around here, though." He looked up in surprise as sunlight suddenly poured in through the viewport. One wall of the warehouse was opening, two large doors sliding outward. "Hey, wouldja look at that…"

Riku noticed that the immediate area was also now clear of debris and other vehicles. "Axel?"

"Might be. Who knows? That one's an enigma, an' no mistake. Well, what do ya think, Riku? Shall we take 'er out for a spin?"

Riku thought for a few moments, one foot resting on a clear area of the control panel. On the one hand, he wasn't too keen on the idea of traveling through darkness, but on the other…what choice did they have? They had a ship now, a way of getting to other worlds, and there was little chance that anything on this world would help them get any closer to solving the riddles of the doors and their keys. Riku's own personal riddle, how to free himself from the darkness, had no further answers in this place, either…and for all he knew, plunging back through the darkness was the only way to find those answers, as much as he might wish otherwise.

Riku shrugged. "Let's go, then. How are we for supplies?"

"I checked them as soon as I got inside. Food stores are still full, and there's plenty of fuel and other necessities. We can go anytime. Should I start the launch sequence?"

"Oh, what the heck. Sure." Riku grinned. "At least Sora won't be able to taunt me anymore about his 'awesome rocket.' I'll just tell him ours is better."

Mickey laughed, leaning over to manipulate a few buttons and levers. The hum from below grew louder, and a slight vibration shook the ship. They began moving smoothly forward, toward the open warehouse doors.

After only a few moments, they were clear of the warehouse and coasting along a short pathway that ran parallel to the beach, off to their left. "Almost ready for takeoff, Riku. Strap yourself in!"

Riku buckled on the safety harness. "Okay. So, how does this work?"

"Well, we break the pull of gravity and head to the upper atmosphere. From there, we should be able to activate the navi-gummis. The question is…I'm not sure how that'll work, after what Axel told us."

"If he was going to go to all that trouble to tell us about the cracks in the barriers, you'd think he'd have told us how to use them," Riku mused. "Unless he was just trying to be difficult."

The ship rumbled a little as it headed down the makeshift runway, picking up speed. "Nah, I'm guessin' it's something he thought we could figure out ourselves without too much trouble. We'll have to see once we get airborne. Okay, hold on tight!"

* * *

_I actually have chapter five finished, but I'm going to hold off on uploading that for a bit. For now, enjoy this chapter, and I'm going to ponder where to go with it next. I have a few ideas. Should be interesting._


	5. Portal of Darkness

**_The Road to Dawn_**  
_By Ariana Aislinn_  
_Chapter 5: Portal of Darkness_

_I'd intended to upload chapter 5 last night or this morning, but due to dense fog I ended up crashing at a friend's house instead of driving home last night. :P So it's a few hours late, but I don't suppose anyone will mind too much, given the rate I'm cranking these out. The next chapter might take a bit longer while I work out where I'm going with it._

_Also - to DarkRiku, thanks! You're right, Axel does have green eyes. I thought for sure they were blue, but I double-checked, and you're right. I'll fix that right away._

_Standard disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts and its characters are the property of Square-Enix and Disney, not me._

* * *

With a blast of force, the gummi ship revved up and sped down the remainder of the runway, lifting off near the end of it. Riku felt himself pushed back in his seat as they angled upward, soaring through the clouds. The sky rapidly grew darker, until it was a deep blue through which Riku could see faint stars. Eventually they leveled out, the force of acceleration lessened, and Riku remembered to breathe again. He laughed. "Whoo! That was something else!"

Mickey grinned. "Like it, huh? Flyin's pretty great once ya get used to it. Heck, even before ya get used to it. Now, let's have a look at the navigational panel…"

Riku glanced over Mickey's shoulder at the readout, but he couldn't make much of it. He saw small icons with labels identifying them as different worlds, and a cursor allowing Mickey to select one, but when the mouse tried to select "Disney Castle," an error sound of some sort buzzed in their ears.

"What's that mean?" Riku asked, pointing to a little red line of text that had appeared in the lower right hand corner of the screen.

"Hmm?" Mickey peered at it. "'Unable to establish route…alternate route found. Continue?' I'm selectin' yes." He waited a moment as a new screen appeared.

As far as Riku could tell, it was all gibberish. There were all sorts of unfamiliar words and strange coordinates. "What's it say? I don't understand any of it."

"To be honest…neither do I!" Mickey laughed. "No, I do get some of it, but a lot of it is a foreign language t'me. I sorta wish I had Chip and Dale along with me - they're my chief engineers. But we'll just hafta make do without 'em. See, as near as I can tell from this -" he pointed to a line of text on the screen - "we can get to the same coordinates by going through this portal here that the navi-gummi found. It's a little like a wormhole - a small one - but not quite. Next time we come this way, it might not be here. But there's others like it, a little too small for us to get through - but they seem to be changing in size, fluctuating back and forth."

"So…we can get through, but there's no guarantee we can get back?"

"Right. There's a good chance, though, since it seems these cracks in the barrier are always changin' in size. At any rate, we're gonna have to pass through the darkness, no matter what. Axel was right about that. See here? These readings…almost like Heartless, but not quite. Nothin' so organized as all that."

"I…guess." Riku shook his head. "I'll just take your word for it - I understand even less of this than you do. But you can tell it you want to take the route it found?"

"Yup, just gotta enter the instructions in manually. Won't take more than a moment or two. So…we hafta make a decision. It's really up to you, Riku…you're the one who knows about the darkness. Do you feel up to this?"

Riku shrugged and grinned. "Guess it's now or never, huh? I'm still new to this not being scared of the darkness thing, but I can't back down now. Let's go, Mickey."

"You got it, pal!" There were a few beeps as he selected the coordinates and entered a manual confirmation. "Hold on tight. These jumps are sometimes a bit bumpy, but what with the darkness - well, I dunno what it'll be like." A moment passed, then the ship began to vibrate a little more strongly. A whooshing sound began to build. "…And here we go!" Mickey grabbed the arms of his seat and held on; Riku did likewise.

With a flash of light, the ship jumped into warp, traveling at indescribable speeds along the path that led toward the portal. All Riku could see were rushing lines of light beyond the viewport as he was again pushed back in his seat. A dark mass at the center of the rushing lines began to spread outward, coming closer. Riku gritted his teeth and braced himself, physically and mentally. They were about to enter the darkness.

When the shock hit, it wasn't anything like Riku might have expected. There was a sharp jerk as the ship shook violently, and then everything seemed to go into slow motion. The light faded around Riku, and he could feel darkness pressing on him in all directions. It was not unlike his dream - he could taste the darkness filling his mouth, and he coughed, choking. Every breath was filled with the heaviness of the dark, settling in Riku's lungs as he gasped. His heart pounded; he couldn't hear the ship anymore, nor could he sense Mickey's presence. He felt entirely alone, just as in his dream.

_No! I can't let the darkness swallow me…have to get free…_ Riku struggled, feeling as if he were trying to swim up from the bottom of a deep abyss. It was an effort to breathe, to think, but he could overcome this trial - he _had_ to. He fought off the darkness, pushing it steadily away from himself.

The ship had apparently not passed through the darkness of the portal yet, however; as fast as Riku fought it off, the denser it became. It solidified, becoming a wall encasing him. He pounded on it, and it rang like heavy, opaque glass, infinitely black and deep.

He stopped for a moment, gathering his strength. Maybe if he put all his force into it at once…it was worth a try. Riku centered himself, seeking out the darkness and light entwined in his heart, and gathered strength from both. Taking a deep breath, he slammed into the dark barrier before him.

Something shattered. Darkness and light exploded around him, and pain wracked Riku's body. He squeezed his eyes shut, crying out as he came back to himself. His body convulsed in its harness, the ship bucking and shaking at the same time. He heard something - Mickey shouting, as if from a distance. Riku's fingers clawed at the arms of his seat, seeking purchase, anything to anchor himself back into reality. He coughed, his breath rasping as he continued to shake uncontrollably.

There was a droning sound in the background, which gradually slowed and deepened as the ship went still. After a while there was silence, broken only by the low hum of the ship's engines. Riku's body continued to spasm erratically for a few moments, and a whimper escaped him - lights appeared to flash behind his closed eyelids, and needles of darkness seemed to stab at him. He squeezed his eyes tightly shut against the pain. It didn't help much. His eyelids fluttered open and blinked rapidly, too quickly to allow him to see anything. The convulsions began to ease off, and he coughed again, gasping for breath as his muscles went limp.

Riku became aware of hands on his shoulders and a voice calling his name. "…Riku! Riku, are you okay? Come on, talk to me, buddy." Mickey shook him a little, trying to get a response. "Look at me, will ya, pal?"

Riku held up a trembling hand, panting. "It's…okay. I hear you." His voice was harsh and raspy; it hardly sounded like his voice at all. He coughed yet again, hacking as if he could expel the darkness he'd felt in his lungs.

Mickey let go of his death-grip on Riku's shoulders, patting his back awkwardly. "You okay there? What happened?"

Riku continued to blink rapidly. The pain had faded, but his eyes were still reflexively trying to get rid of whatever had caused that pain. He willed them to stay shut for a moment, took a deep, shuddering breath, and opened his eyes again slowly, trying to look around and survey the damage.

All was darkness; he couldn't see anything. He sighed. "I…don't know. What's going on? Are we through?"

He heard Mickey flop down into the pilot's seat again. "I dunno. I think so, but…the controls went offline. I can't tell for sure until I get things up and running again. Give me a minute to get the lights on, at least…then maybe I can see what I'm doin'."

Riku concentrated on taking deep breaths and steadying himself, trying to ease the trembling that still plagued him. His whole body felt weak and shaky, like an overcooked noodle. Still…he'd beaten it back, hadn't he? He wasn't sure he ever wanted to go through that again, which could present a problem, but he was still here, and still himself. Didn't that mean a victory, however small?

"Just a moment…ahhh…got it!"

There was a click, and then a piercingly bright flash. Riku cried out, shutting his eyes. "Augh!!" He buried his face in his arms.

"Huh? You all right? The lights are pretty dim still, I can barely see what I'm doin', but let me look you over…" Mickey took a couple steps over to Riku and touched his arm.

"You call that dim?!" Eyes still tightly shut, Riku panted again. "I swear, that was so bright it physically hurt!"

"Uh…bright? Not hardly. You sure you're okay, there?"

Riku paused, face still concealed in his coat sleeves. "…No. I'm not sure. I…don't really know what happened to me back there." Carefully he raised his head, opening his eyes just a sliver. The light seemed painfully bright, but if he squinted, he could make out Mickey's concerned face looking into his. "…Damn, I'm sorry, Mickey. You look okay…I guess. Are you?"

"Oh, don't worry about me, pal. I'm fine. Took a little bump on the head, but nothin' major. But what's going on here? What happened to you?"

Riku laughed bitterly, the laugh turning into a cough. "The darkness happened. Did you feel it?"

Mickey nodded soberly. "Oh, I felt it all right. Just like in the realm of darkness - heavy, pounding down on you. Not pleasant."

"That's what I felt, too…but far stronger. I guess I'm…weaker to it. More vulnerable. Something like that, anyway. I'm not really sure what it did to me, but…" He took a deep breath. "All right, I think I'm adjusting a little…I can see better now." He blinked, opening his eyes a little wider. "Still hurts, though. You say this doesn't seem bright to you at all?"

"Nope. I'd say the lights are at about half strength." Mickey seemed uncertain. "What could be causing that? What did the darkness do to ya?"

Riku fumbled around, searching under the seat and all around him. "Have you got any sort of fabric I could tear up, maybe?"

Mickey nodded. "Yep, got a shirt I tore pretty badly in a fight with some Heartless, a few weeks back. I threw it on my bunk. Just a moment." He hurried off, returning shortly with the aforementioned article of clothing. He handed it to Riku, who ripped off a long strip of the black fabric, then tied it on as a sort of makeshift blindfold. He sighed with relief.

Mickey looked doubtful. "Does that really help? Can you see anything?"

"You'd be surprised. I can see pretty clearly. Not as much as I usually can, but…" Riku shrugged. "Hopefully this isn't permanent. Maybe it'll get better slowly, but until then, this will shield me from the worst of the light. Once the lights come back on full strength, I should be able to stand it…I hope." He tried to sound more sure of himself, more positive, but he couldn't quite manage it.

Mickey patted his shoulder comfortingly. "Don't worry about it, I'm sure you'll get better. Do you hurt anywhere? Anything else damaged, broken, sore?"

Riku chuckled bitterly. "Oh, I'm sore all over. But I don't think there's any serious damage, aside from my eyes. Just…the scent of darkness, the taste of it, over everything. Ugh. Once we take care of more pressing matters, I'm gonna need something to drink to try to get the taste out of my mouth. So…what's up with the ship?"

"I dunno. Let me take a look at it. You just sit there and relax, okay? Rest for a moment while I try to see just what happened, and where we are, for that matter."

Riku did as the king suggested, leaning back in his seat with his head against the headrest. His head pounded, and he still felt limp and shaky all over, but the longer he sat there, the more he could feel some of the soreness and weakness begin to slip away. It was just a little, but it gave him some hope that whatever had happened to him wasn't permanent. He listened, eyes closed, as Mickey tinkered with the controls.

After a while, the mouse sighed. "Well, I've got good news and bad news."

"What's that?"

"Well, we made it through the portal all right. That's the good news. The bad news is…the ship's damaged, and we're stranded. According to the navi-gummi, we came through the right portal so we're not too far from Disney Castle, but it's far enough away that we're pretty much stuck. Once I get the monitors working, we might even be able to see it - but we can't get there. Looks like we ain't movin' for a while."

Riku nodded slowly. "…Can you fix it, do you think?"

Mickey shrugged. "Dunno, pal. Might be able to! Not like we've got anything else to do except try. But first…you said you needed something to drink, and I'm thinkin' food might not come amiss, either. Mind if I grab us some lunch?"

Riku nodded gratefully. "You do that. I'm just going to stay here for a bit…I think if I tried to stand up, I'd fall over."

"Heh." Mickey patted his shoulder again reassuringly. "Don't worry, you'll be okay, pal. Let's just work through this one step at a time and figure out what to do next. Besides, look on the bright side -"

"Right now, everything seems bright - too bright." Riku grinned wryly.

"Very funny. What I mean is, look at you - you're still you! You didn't let the darkness take you over, and that's definitely somethin'. You're growin' stronger, Riku."

Riku choked out a laugh. "Stronger? Me?" He gestured at the blindfold. "You call _this_ stronger?"

"That I do, pal!" Mickey nodded emphatically. "So you're gonna be making a new fashion statement for a while. So what? I've still got my buddy Riku with me, and I'm real thankful for that. So you just hold on while I scrounge up some food, okay?"

Riku smiled. "All right then. And…thanks, Mickey."

The mouse gave him a thumbs up as he left the cockpit. "Hey, what're friends for?"


	6. Emergency Landing

**_The Road to Dawn_**  
_By Ariana Aislinn_  
_Chapter 6: Emergency Landing_

_This is a really short chapter, sorry. It's kind of transitional...I'm going to be shifting the focus of the story for a while, so I needed to temporarily wrap this part up. Don't worry, we'll come back to Riku and the king! At least I didn't leave you on a cliffhanger. :P _

_Standard disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts and its characters are the property of Square-Enix and Disney, not me._

* * *

"I think I got something!"

The crackle of static came through the radio, and Riku heard what sounded like high-pitched squealing. As Mickey adjusted the controls, he could make out words amid the squeaking noises. Were those…voices?

"Your Majesty! Is that you? Where are you?"

Mickey grinned. "Chip! It's great to hear your voice, pal. We're not far from Disney Castle, but we're stuck. We ran into a bit of trouble and the ship's mostly offline."

"'We'?" squeaked a second voice.

"Yep, I got a friend with me. Don't suppose you fellas can help us out of here? We just need to land for now, and you can go to work on repairs once we arrive safely."

"What have you done to my ship, Your Majesty?" said the first voice. "I thought I told you to be careful!" Riku thought he could detect a smile in the voice.

Mickey grinned. "Sorry, Chip. So, any ideas?"

There was high-pitched muttering that Riku couldn't quite make out for a moment or two. Then, "I'm getting some readings from your ship. You're not far at all, but if you can't get moving on your own, we have a bit of a problem. Hey Dale, got any ideas how we could get them landed safely?"

More muttering. "Um…well, what about the backup power? If it's running, we could send up a booster gummi! The two could link, and the booster could guide them in safely. Whaddaya think?"

"Have we got a booster up and running?"

"Uh…yeah, if I can _find_ it…"

"Dale!" The voice was exasperated.

Riku leaned over to Mickey and whispered, "Uh…what _are_ they?"

"Chipmunks. Real small, but fantastic with gummis! Bein' tiny has its advantages for getting inside machinery and fine-tuning all the little bits."

Riku grinned. "I can imagine."

"Okay, Yer Majesty!" said the second, more casual voice, which was apparently Dale. "I think we figured out where the booster is. If ya give us a bit, we can have it sent to you. Might take…oh, an hour. Can ya sit tight that long?"

"I think we can, Dale. Thank you!"

As Mickey switched off the communications mic, Riku polished off the last few bites of a granola bar. He leaned back in his chair with a sigh.

"Feel better, pal?"

"Yeah, the food kinda helped…but the taste and the smell are still there, underneath it all, and I'm getting a killer headache." Riku made a face.

"Not to worry! Chip and Dale will get us down to the castle safely, and then we'll getcha some medical attention and a proper bed to rest in."

"A bed…" Riku laughed. "How long has it been since I actually slept in a bed? I'm not sure I remember what one feels like."

Mickey chuckled. As they waited, he continued to work on bringing as many systems back online as possible. It was slow work, and as he explained to Riku, some things were seriously damaged and would require heavy repair work once they were on the ground. Still, it would help to get as much running as possible in order to coordinate properly with the booster gummi. Riku didn't understand much of it, but he let Mickey work and concentrated on resting and trying to recover from his harrowing trip through the darkness. He still shivered now and then, and a headache pounded behind his eyes.

A while later, the radio crackled again. "Your Majesty? We're all ready to launch the booster! It should take about five minutes to reach you. Once it does, make sure the system is ready to interface as soon as it detects the gummi's readings, okay?"

Mickey nodded. "Got it, Chip! Anytime you're ready."

"Booster launched!" shouted Dale, obviously a little distance away from the mic.

After a short wait, during which Mickey fiddled with controls, the instrument panel binged at them. "It's got it!" A little more tapping of buttons and fiddling with levers, and there was a grinding crunch. "We're interfaced with the booster. Anything else you need us to do up here?"

"Nope, just sit tight!" said Dale. "We'll bring you in nice and easy."

Mickey sat down, breathing a sigh of relief, and grinned at Riku. "At least something's goin' right, huh? Golly, I can't wait to get home."

"How long have you been gone?"

"Hmm." Mickey pondered. "I think it's been…maybe six to nine months? Maybe almost a year. I'm not really sure, since we both kinda lost track of time in Kingdom Hearts and Castle Oblivion."

"It must be nice to go home." Riku smiled.

"Yeah, but we can't stay long. We have a job to do while we're down there - gotta find as much info as we can, and you have to rest up and get better!"

"Aww, come on," Riku grumbled. "I'm not an invalid!"

Mickey laughed. "I know, but still, a little rest wouldn't come amiss! Don't you try to deny it, now. I need you up and around as soon as possible - we have a lot to do."

"That's true." Riku nodded. "Well…I'll do my best then."

The ship shook a bit as they entered the atmosphere. Riku couldn't see much out the viewport with his bandage and overly sensitive eyesight, but he could feel the turbulence as they came in for a landing. There was a muted roaring sound outside that slowly died away, shortly followed by a clunk and a series of clicks.

"Looks like we've docked!" Mickey stood, grabbing Riku's hand. "Come on, I'll show you to the castle. Daisy'll find you a room, and I'll have the kitchen get started on a proper meal. I'm starving! And wait till you meet Minnie, she'll really like ya, I'm sure of it!"

Riku couldn't help but grin at Mickey's excited chatter. The mouse king was surely glad to be home, and Riku thought he could understand the sentiment. He smiled sadly, thinking of the homecoming he would hopefully have someday. If only he just knew when it might be…

Shrugging his shoulders, Riku stood up straight as he exited the gummi ship, tightening his blindfold to adjust to the increased light. Although oddly nervous, he was rather looking forward to seeing the homeworld of these strange, appealing creatures. If they were anything like Mickey, Donald, and Goofy, he thought they'd probably get along just fine.


	7. Crystalline Awakening

**_The Road to Dawn_**  
_By Ariana Aislinn_  
_Chapter 7: Crystalline Awakening_

_I know the last chapter was really short, but I decided not to wait before updating again, and this chapter is pretty long! So it evens out. I hope everyone likes it...I know I started the story off by making it all about Riku and Mickey, but this was niggling at the back of my mind. Don't worry, I won't wait too long before jumping back to Riku._

_Oh, and one more thing...I know I asked for beta readers, and a couple of you offered. Thank you, and I'll be sure to contact you! It's just that sometimes I get so excited I have to get the chapter up right away. I always read it over two or three times before doing so, or I wouldn't upload it, but some chapters I'm just not sure about so I will need someone to beta for me. I've already done that on a couple. So don't worry, I haven't forgotten you, and I will message you! Oh yes, I almost forgot. Thanks to Perhelediel for beta reading chapter 6 for me!_

_Standard disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts and its characters are the property of Square-Enix and Disney, not me._

* * *

"Mmm…come on, Mom, just five more minutes."

It felt as if his head were stuffed with cotton balls. His mouth felt gummy, and he was terribly thirsty. He also felt extremely groggy, even more so than usual when he woke up - his mother had always said he took forever to wake up in the mornings - and for some reason he felt cramped. He burrowed his face into his shoulder as sunlight shone on his face. "Mmf. Go 'way."

"Come on, you have to get up. You've definitely slept long enough!"

"Don't wanna. Still tired."

She laughed lightly. "That's what happens sometimes when you sleep too long. Come on now."

Sora's stomach growled suddenly, sounding like a disgruntled bear with a toothache. He grumbled to himself - he realized that he felt too hungry to go back to sleep. He lifted his head and blinked his eyes blearily, then stopped. "What the…?"

He wasn't in a bed. In fact, he wasn't lying down at all. Rubbing his eyes with gloved knuckles, Sora looked around. He was half reclining, half standing in a strange crystalline structure, leaning against the glassy rounded walls. The crystal looked like an enormous flower bud, one of the petals in front of him, looking like frosted glass, curling outward to form a ramp leading down to the floor of the room.

The room itself was strange and unfamiliar…or was it? The floors, the walls, everything was pure white. Even the chair that was the room's sole piece of furniture was white, with a few simple curlicues for decoration. The room's heavy double doors were similarly fashioned. There were one or two white stone vases with sculptured stone flowers - again, white - in the corner, and the light spilling in through the windows had a strange, pearlescent quality to it. Sora felt quite certain he'd never seen this odd room before in his life, yet something about it seemed to cause some sort of echoes to reverberate through his memory.

There was another occupant of the room - a girl standing before him. She looked about Sora's age, and she had straight blonde hair and depthless blue eyes. She was dressed simply, in a plain white shift and sandals. She stood silently, watching him with a sad smile and her hands clasped behind her back. There was something about her that looked vaguely familiar, like the room, but Sora was pretty sure he didn't know her.

"Uh…" Scratching his head with a gloved hand, Sora carefully stepped out onto the ramp and extracted himself from the strange crystal structure. Once his feet were firmly planted on the white stone floor, he examined the girl again. "I…uh…" He couldn't manage to form his words; he wasn't even sure where he should start asking questions. He was utterly confused.

The girl smiled knowingly. "It's all right. Don't worry about it, you don't have to ask. I probably already know everything you're wondering, so I'll just go ahead and give you what answers I can, all right?"

Sora nodded dumbly, and she smiled again, looking mildly amused - but in a pleasant way. There was something gentle about this girl, so that Sora never believed for a moment that she was making fun of him.

"Go ahead and stretch if you like; you're probably pretty cramped. You were in there for a long time."

"How long?" Sora licked his dry lips, trying to work the strange taste out of his mouth. His voice sounded a bit raspy from disuse.

"I'm not precisely sure, but…maybe a few weeks?"

Sora blinked. "Weeks?"

"Er, yes. Possibly seven or eight weeks. I'm sorry I don't have a clearer answer for you, but I haven't been here that whole time. I've come back as often as I could to check on things and maintain the process."

"The process? What process?" Sora put a hand to his temple; his head was beginning to hurt.

She sighed. "I'm not doing this very well, am I? I suppose first I'd better introduce myself."

"So…we _haven't_ met before."

"Oh, we have. You don't remember. Don't worry about it, you're not supposed to remember. I'm…well, my name is Naminé. That's really about all there is to know about me, except that I can alter memories."

Sora took a step backward. "Uh…did you alter my memories? Is that why I don't know who you are or how I got here?" He frantically searched his mind, establishing the essentials. _My name's Sora. I'm the Keyblade master. I travel with my friends, Donald and Goofy. We're looking for King Mickey and Riku. And…I have a promise to keep._

She nodded. "Yes, but don't worry. I've just put them right again. You should have all your memories back now - the important ones, anyway."

"But, uh…how do you know which memories are important?" Sora looked at her doubtfully.

She smiled sadly again. "Oh, all of them, except the ones of me. Me and this castle."

He blinked. "We're in a castle?"

"Yes. Castle Oblivion. It's a long story, and you don't really need to know all of it…just that I've put things right again. I hope."

Sora walked over to the chair and flopped down, swinging his oversized shoes. "So why are the memories of you not important?"

Naminé sighed and walked over to stand next to him, leaning against the wall. "Mostly because they were drawn over the memories that _were_ important. Just to be sure, tell me - what _is_ your most important memory?"

_My promise._ There was a cord around Sora's neck, holding a pendant of some sort that was safely tucked underneath his shirt. He pulled it out to look at it. The leather cord was fastened to a star shape made of white shells - thalassa shells, he remembered. They were supposed to ensure good luck and a safe journey. At the top of the star, a smiley face was drawn. "It's this," he said slowly. "I have to return this lucky charm." He smiled suddenly. "I promised Kairi I'd bring it back."

Naminé nodded with satisfaction, but the sad smile remained. "Yes."

"But…" Sora clasped his hand around the charm. "What do you mean, my memories were 'drawn over'?"

She shook her head. "It doesn't matter. Don't worry about it." She walked toward the door. "We should go; your friends will be waking up soon."

"Oh yeah, Donald and Goofy!" Sora hopped down from the chair, his large shoes making soft squeaking noises as he hurried after Naminé.

The hallway beyond the double doors looked almost exactly like the room - pure white, with a few scattered stone vases. Naminé led him into another room that looked the same as well. It had no furniture, but there were two of the crystalline structures. Inside them rested Donald and Goofy, apparently sleeping soundly. Sora turned to Naminé. "So…how do we get them free?"

"Like this." She walked over to the crystal that held Donald and put her hand against the clear glass for a moment. When she took her hand away, a frosted silhouette of her palm appeared on the crystal. Slowly it grew and spread, and as it did the crystal flower bud unfurled, the petals reaching down to become the same ramp of frosted white that Sora had used to exit his own sleeping chamber. Donald's eyes blinked open, and he let out a soft, confused quack. He stumbled forward, tripping over the ramp. His arms flapped frantically in the air before he fell over, sliding down the ramp and coming to a stop against Sora's shoes. Sora couldn't help but laugh.

"What's the big idea!" Donald grumbled. He raised himself up on one elbow, rested his chin in his hand, and tapped the floor irritably with his other hand.

Sora grinned. "Morning, Donald. Sleep well?"

Donald merely muttered something unintelligible as he scrambled to his feet. Naminé went over to the other pod and opened it. Before long, Goofy was standing in the middle of the room, blinking in placid confusion. "Uh…hi, Sora! Heya, Donald! What's up, fellers?"

Sora grinned again. "Not much, just trying to sort things out. You doing okay, Goofy?"

"Sure am!" He turned to Naminé. "Hey, who're you?" He held out his hand to shake hers. "I'm Goofy!"

Naminé giggled softly, taking his hand and shaking it. "Hello, Goofy. I'm glad to see you're well."

Donald walked over to them, frowning thoughtfully. "What's going on, anyway?"

"It's a long story," Sora said hurriedly. "I don't even know most of it myself. But we've lost a few weeks while we've been here, sleeping. I guess we lost our memory and had to have it put back, somehow. But everything's all right now, isn't it, Naminé?" He turned to her.

She nodded, clasping her hands behind her back. "Yes, it should be. There are a few things I should tell you, but I'll let you get your bearings. Oh! You'll need some food, too."

"Oh, good. I'm starving!"

Something stirred in the hood of Sora's jacket. Jiminy Cricket poked his head up, blinking sleepily. He jumped down to the floor, rummaging in his coat pockets. "Hi, everyone! One moment, I always feel I have to check my journal whenever I'm not sure what's going on. That's one reason I keep them."

Naminé seemed to tense for a moment, peering down at the small, talking bug. She relaxed as he opened a book and started flipping through it, consulting the scrawled writing.

"Well, everything seems to be in order here…I've recorded how you defeated Ansem and how we found Pluto on that meadow path. But I can't quite remember what happened after that…let me check my next journal." Jiminy fumbled with another book, then started flipping through it. "Huh…will you look at that!"

"What?" Sora peered down at him.

"Look! Every page is blank. I suppose I haven't written anything in it yet. How could I have forgotten to write about how we got to this place though, wherever it is? I never forget these things." He frowned in consternation, taking a second look at the book. "Wait! What's that?" He flipped to the last page. "There's something written here… 'Thank Naminé.'"

Goofy blinked. "Uh…gawrsh, who's Naminé?"

Donald nodded. "And what are we supposed to thank her for?"

Sora waved a hand at the girl, who was looking a little unsure. "This is Naminé. And I'm guessing we need to thank you for restoring our memories…don't we?" He turned to her, folding his arms across his chest and smiling.

"Well…I suppose so." Naminé smiled a little bit back. "So…um, you're welcome. Just a moment, I'd better get you some breakfast!" She hurried off through the double doors, not looking back.

Donald scratched his head. "What's with her?"

Sora frowned, watching the double doors slowly swing closed. "I don't know. She's been acting like that since I woke up a little while ago."

"Gawrsh, you think she's scared of us for some reason?"

"I don't think so." Sora shook his head. "She seems to feel almost…guilty, maybe?" He shrugged. "I don't know. But she seems nice, doesn't she?"

"I guess so. But I'd really like to know what's going on," Donald sighed.

"Well, here's what she told me - when we came to this castle, Castle Oblivion, we lost our memories somehow. She had to put us in these crystal things for a few weeks to restore them. She said something about…drawing over our old memories, but I'm not really sure what she meant. In any case, she said she's put it right again, so we should be okay now."

"I don't know about you, but I'm not sure how okay I feel when I can't remember how we got here!"

Sora grinned, patting the duck on the back. "Don't worry, Donald, I'm sure everything will be all right! I'm just a bit worried that we've lost so much time, but last I remember, we really weren't sure where to go or what to do next, anyway. So I guess it's okay." He glanced down at the lucky charm again. "Although I'm sure Kairi's worried about me, since I haven't come back yet. And we still don't know where Riku and the king are…"

Goofy scratched his head. "Gawrsh, there's somethin' I remember, but I don't' remember what it was…"

"How you can you remember it if you don't remember it? That's stupid," Donald grumbled at him. "You big palooka!"

"Nope, I definitely remember it. I said something when we walked into this castle."

Sora leaned forward. "You remember something about the castle, Goofy? What?"

"Uh…not sure. But I definitely remember it, yup!" Goofy grinned. "We were in this entrance hall thingummy, and we were talkin' about why we came inside the castle."

Donald frowned thoughtfully. "Why did we come here, anyway?"

Sora blinked. "I remember…something. There was a crossroads…and a man in black. I wonder who he was?"

"I seem to remember more than one person wearing black," Jiminy mused, "but I'm really not sure. Why can't I remember?"

Sora smiled. "It's because our memories got drawn over."

"But that doesn't mean anything!" Donald burst out grumpily.

"Yes, it does." The doors opened again as Naminé returned, carrying a heavy tray of food. Sora hurried to help her. Together they carried it over to a long white table with four chairs at it. Sora blinked; he was sure that table hadn't been there before.

"Uh…well then, what's it mean?" Goofy ambled over to the table, sniffing the tray appreciatively. There was something hot on it that smelled good.

Naminé reached down to one of the chairs and picked up a sketchbook that lay upon it. "This is what it means." She flipped to a page showing an image of a large, foreboding castle. "This is Castle Oblivion. It's not just a drawing of it, but a memory of the place. When I draw, I create and shift memories around. I drew over your old memories of home and your friends. Then, when you went to sleep in the crystals, I put everything back."

Sora looked up at her, blinking in confusion. His eyes held no blame in them, only curiosity. "But…why did you do that?"

Naminé sighed. "They made me. But…no, that's not really it. I did it because I wanted to. Because I believed…if I could give you new memories, maybe I could be in them. I could be part of someone's life. I could be someone's friend."

Sora laughed lightly, surprising her. "That's not how you make friends! Goodness, Naminé, if you want to be friends, of course I'll be friends with you! There's no need to draw a picture of a memory. Being friends means that you decide to make new memories, not write over old ones. All you've gotta do is ask."

Goofy nodded. "That's right! We love makin' new friends, and if Sora's your friend, he'll stick by you no matter what!"

"Mostly because he likes to show off for girls, though," Donald muttered.

Sora whirled on him. "Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"

They all turned as Naminé began to laugh. She began by giggling, but very soon tears of mirth were rolling down her face, and her sides shook as peals of laughter filled the room. The cold, white stone seemed to warm and brighten a little with the sound. Soon Sora and the others were laughing too.

Finally Naminé recovered, wiping her streaming eyes. "We'd better eat before it gets cold." She sat in her chair, tucking the sketchbook underneath it, and began to hand out plates. She then began to fill glasses from a pitcher of what looked like fresh lemonade.

They soon tucked into the food, Jiminy sitting next to Naminé's plate as she offered him occasional bits that he pointed out as looking interesting. She looked fascinated by the creature, and they talked together about the types of food as they ate.

"Roast beef with cream sauce," she said in response to Jiminy's latest question. "Do you want to try some? I got it from a very good restaurant in Gateway."

"No thanks, miss! I'm more partial to the salad greens there. I've never seen so many kinds of lettuce!"

Naminé giggled as Sora cocked his head curiously at her, finishing a mouthful of herb bread. "What's Gateway?"

"Oh, that's a town not too far from here. There isn't much in this countryside, just rolling hills and meadows almost as far as the eye can see. But about a day's walk from here is the seashore, and Gateway is a port town nestled alongside the little harbor there."

"Do you go there often, then? Is that where you were when you said you couldn't be here all the time?" Sora tore off another hunk of bread.

Naminé shook her head. "No, I go there sometimes, but usually when I leave, they come to take me with them. They always have things for me to do for them. I usually live here, and most of them are gone now, but they come back to check on me every now and then. And one of them is almost always in or around the town, so it isn't as if I could escape that way, even with all the ships coming and going."

Sora's eyes softened with sympathy. "You're a prisoner, then?"

She shrugged. "More or less. But not exactly - I mean, it's not as if I'd have anywhere else to go anyway."

"I know! We could take you with us!" He grinned. Donald started to protest, but Goofy was nodding happily.

Naminé smiled, shaking her head. "No. Thank you, but…they'd come looking for me, and you don't need any more trouble from them than you've already got. It's a miracle I've managed to keep them from finding out that you're still here in the first place. They've mostly abandoned the castle now, or I wouldn't have been able to do it at all. Besides, I'm fine here. They leave me alone a lot of the time, and they don't treat me too badly, mostly. I'd just be in the way if I came with you. You have promises to keep after all, don't you?"

Sora nodded slowly. "Yes…but I still feel bad, leaving you here like this."

"Don't feel bad. Just knowing that you'd be willing to take me along if you could makes me very happy." She looked uncertain for a moment. "But…did you mean that, about being friends?"

"Of course! Why wouldn't I?" Donald and Goofy nodded their emphatic agreement.

"Well, because…you don't know me, and all you know is what I told you, that I drew over your memories. I would think…well, that you wouldn't like me after you knew that."

"Why not?" Sora shrugged. "You put things right again, and you're obviously sorry about it. So what's the problem?" He smiled. "I'll tell you what. I do have a promise to keep, and we have other friends to find, but we can still be friends. I'll make sure to come back and see you sometime! I might even be able to introduce you to my other friends - I'm sure you'd like them! You and Kairi might get along…"

A strange look came across Naminé's face as he mentioned Kairi. "…Maybe. I…would like to meet her someday."

"Yeah!" Sora continued. "And once we find Riku and the king…"

"Oh!" said Goofy. "That's it! That's why we came here."

"What?" asked Donald.

"We came to this castle because the king was here! Yup!" Goofy looked very pleased with himself.

"Well, of course we were looking for them, but what makes you think they'd be way out here? That's crazy!" Donald made a face. "They were behind the door to darkness! How are they supposed to get out of there? So unless there's a way to the realm of darkness from this castle, that doesn't make any sense."

"…Wait." Sora sat up straighter. "It does make sense! I remember now. It's all I remember - everything after that first hallway is a blank - but I remember us talking about that when we first entered the castle. We all had a strange feeling that Riku and the king were here." He frowned. "But if that's true…why didn't we find them?" He glanced at Naminé. "We didn't, did we? Was that just our memory playing tricks on us?"

She shook her head. "You didn't find them here, no. But your memory isn't playing tricks on you, either. They were here."

"What!" the three shouted in unison.

"But…why didn't we see them, then? We've been looking all over for them!" Sora stared at his slowly cooling food. "How could we have possibly missed them, if they were here? I don't get it."

Naminé sighed. "This place is confusing even to me sometimes. You arrived before they did. In fact, you and your friends were never even in the same part of the castle at any time. I'm not really sure of all that happened, but…I think Riku appeared in the basement."

"Gawrsh, this place has a basement?"

"And what floor are we on, if that's true?" Donald frowned.

"The thirteenth floor. But don't worry, I can take us directly to the first floor when you're ready to leave." Naminé smiled. "It took you a long time to battle your way to the top, but we can get down much more quickly now."

Sora put a hand to his head. "Now I'm all confused; my head is spinning." He shrugged and started in on his meal again. "I just don't get it," he mumbled with his mouth full.

Naminé laced her fingers together. "I'll see if I can explain, but I don't really understand, myself. All I know is that…I was asked to meet with Riku. I could help him fight the darkness, but only by erasing his memories in order to seal his heart. He chose to keep his memories and continue fighting the darkness without help. That's really all I know." She smiled. "But he came to see you."

"What do you mean?"

"While you were asleep. He saw you, and I explained what had happened."

Sora looked downcast. "But he didn't stay? After all the searching we've done?"

Naminé shrugged. "It took a long time to fix your memory, and he has his own quest. But now that you're awake, it's probably time that you went to find him. I know he's waiting for you now."

Sora couldn't help but feel encouraged, as disappointed as he was to have come so close to finding his friend, yet missing him again. After all, if what Naminé said was true, then Riku was, if not entirely himself, at least fighting to keep the darkness from taking over again. And…it sounded as if they were still friends. Sora smiled. As much as he missed Kairi, as much as his promise to her burned inside his heart, he had to admit that he really would like to see Riku again, too. He really did miss his friend. Both of them were counting on him. He looked up, nodding decisively. "Well then, we've got to go after him as soon as possible!"

"What about the king?" asked Donald, frowning. "I thought you said our friends were here. Does that mean the king too?"

"Gawrsh, I hope so. After all, Riku and King Mickey were both shut behind the door! If Riku escaped, I sure hope the king did too."

Naminé shrugged. "I don't actually know about your king; when I talked with Riku, he was alone. But from what I heard, it sounded as if someone was traveling through the castle with him, helping him. I wouldn't be surprised if it was your king."

Goofy grinned, looking encouraged. Donald still seemed doubtful, but he smiled waveringly. "Well…I guess there's only one way to find out!"

"Naminé, where did Riku go?" Sora scraped the plate with his fork, polishing off the last drippings of meat and sauce.

"I'm not really sure. But if you want to leave this place, the only way to go is east, toward the sea. From Gateway you can probably get wherever you need to go."

"To another world?" quacked Donald.

"Maybe. When Riku left, the barriers were up. But now…" She shrugged. "I'm really not sure. Strange things have been going on."

Sora scratched his head. "But uh…if the barriers were up, Riku couldn't have left this world, right?"

"Um…not necessarily. As I said, I don't really understand it. But there may have been a way. There were cracks in the barrier of some sort. For all I know, the cracks may have widened in the past few weeks. If the barriers aren't down entirely, they probably will be soon."

Sora sighed. "I just don't get it. It's way too confusing for me!" He grinned. "But if there's a way to find Riku, we'll find it, no problem!"

Goofy nodded. "That's the spirit, Sora!"

"So, are we going to Gateway then?"

"Guess so, Donald." Sora stood, putting out his hand, and Jiminy hopped into it, then scrambled up his arm and into his jacket hood again. "So everyone, are we ready to leave?"

The others nodded, their sparkling clean plates bearing testimony to the fact that the meal was definitely over. Naminé stood as the others did. "I'll take you the first floor, and you can be on your way."

Sora turned to her, rubbing the back of his head. "Uh… Naminé, I feel like there's something I should say, but I don't know what. I feel bad for some reason."

She smiled again, that same sad smile as before. "Don't feel that way. You have no reason to. I'm just happy that we're friends, even though you don't really know me."

Sora grinned. "Yeah, of course!" He nodded.

Naminé left the dishes on the table, assuring them that she would come back and clean up later. She walked them to the double doors and led them out into the hall, where they faced down a long, spiraling staircase. "All right, just a moment." She pulled a strange-looking card seemingly from nowhere. It was rectangular, but the top was cut into a jagged shape, almost like a stylized crown. Looking down at the stairs spiraling away into darkness, she flung the card into their depths. There was a flash some distance away. "All right, let's go." She put her foot onto the first step and vanished.

The others gasped, but after they recovered from their shock, Sora stepped forward. "I guess it's okay…" Shrugging, he put his own foot out onto the stairway. There was another flash and a moment of vertigo, and then he caught his balance, finding himself standing next to Naminé. A moment later Goofy and Donald joined them.

"There's the exit," Naminé said, waving to some heavy, wooden double doors, the only splash of color in the white hallway. "As I said, just walk along the path to the east for about a day, maybe a little less, and you'll find Gateway. Good luck, Sora…Donald, Goofy, Jiminy. I'm sure you'll find your friends soon."

Goofy and Donald shook Naminé's hand vigorously and headed toward the door. Sora hung back for a moment. "So…you met Riku, you said? Did he…look well?"

"As well as anyone, I'd say. I don't particularly know him, but…he seemed nice." She smiled.

Sora grinned. "I'll tell him you said hello, if you want. Okay?"

"Hmm." Naminé shrugged, then grinned back. "You do that, then! Take care, Sora!"

He clasped her hand warmly, then turned and joined the others at the doors, pushing them open. Sunlit fields greeted him, underneath a bright blue sky. He waved to Naminé. "Bye, then! See you again soon!"

Naminé went to stand in the doorway as they walked down the path. She waved good bye as they looked back one last time, and then she simply stood there, watching, until they were completely out of sight.

* * *

_There you go, longest chapter yet! Things could start branching off in a lot of different directions now. Also, it might be time to start speculating about pairings! We shall see. Expect to start seeing more characters, too. Also, while I have a general direction for the story in mind, it might be fun to tell me what you'd like to see. Nothing too specific - just things like certain characters, locations, possible overall situations. I can't guarantee anything, but you can always ask. And as always, please tell me what you think! I take all suggestions and criticism seriously, and positive reviews absolutely make my day too, of course. I write for three reasons - to have fun doing it, to provide something my readers will enjoy, and to practice my writing skills. So let me know how I'm doing on the latter two!_

_I have some ideas for my next chapter, so it won't be too long in coming. Possibly tomorrow sometime. I'm going to be awfully busy over the next few days, so don't panic if I'm a day or two late in uploading the next couple chapters, but for all we know I'll just forgo sleep and get them up anyway._ :P


	8. Starblaze

**_The Road to Dawn_**  
_By Ariana Aislinn_  
_Chapter 8: Starblaze_

_I know this chapter took a while, but like I said, I was busy for a few days! Besides which, I wanted to make sure these next two chapters got beta read before I posted them. Many thanks to Perhelediel for doing that for me! And yes, you get two chapters instead of one this time, and I have chapter 10 on the way soon. I know one reviewer said it was nice that I didn't jump around a whole lot, and now here I'm doing exactly that. But don't worry, we'll probably get back to Riku in chapter 11, I think._

_Update 2/9/06: I've made some minor revisions, since Koorino Megumi was kind enough to also beta this for me. She had some good suggestions as well._

_Standard disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts and its characters are the property of Square-Enix and Disney, not me._

* * *

They arrived in Gateway at around noon the next day. The city was busy at that hour, and they had to weave carefully to avoid bumping into people as they moved through the crowds that streamed through the streets. More than one person looked askance at Donald and Goofy, but no one questioned or approached them. Sora wondered if seeing such strangers was unusual, but not unheard of, in this place. Judging by the huge variety of clothing he was seeing, they certainly got all kinds here…

"So, uh…where do we start lookin' for some way out of here?"

"I have no idea." Sora shrugged. "I don't even know where we could go! Do you think the barriers really are down?" He frowned. "They shouldn't be. I mean, after we went to all that trouble to seal the door to darkness…"

"Maybe you have to find the door to the light before it'll be permanent," Donald pointed out.

"Maybe. I guess we won't know till we find it, huh?" Sora scanned the streets, peering down toward the docks. "I guess our best bet is a ship of some sort. I don't know if it could take us offworld, but it's worth a try…"

Donald startled him with a sudden "Wak!" of surprise. Sora and Goofy turned to follow his pointing finger.

"Hey Donald, is that who I think it is?" Goofy grinned. "Heya, Pluto!"

Sure enough, the orange-yellow dog perked up his ears and turned in their direction, panting eagerly. He sat outside a sausage vendor's stall, looking hopeful. As soon as he saw the others, he got up and bounded toward them.

Sora laughed as Pluto pounced on him and proceeded to give his face a good slobbering. He spluttered, trying to shield himself with an arm. "Cut it out, boy!" Pluto gave him another huge lick for good measure, then proceeded to lovingly gnaw on Sora's forearm. The whole time, Goofy guffawed while Donald shook his head and snickered.

"All right, that's enough!" Sora climbed to his feet, gently pushing Pluto away. The dog sat down in front of them and panted happily, wagging his tail. "Where've you been, anyway, Pluto? We lost you when we chased you down that road all those weeks ago! If you expect us to catch you, you're going to have to run slower!" He shook a finger at Pluto, who looked severely chastened.

Goofy scratched his head. "Hey, weren't we chasin' him for a reason?"

Donald nodded. "That's right! He had a letter with him!"

Sora leaned down to the dog. "What happened to that letter, boy?"

Pluto suddenly barked and took off down the street. "H-Hey!" yelled Donald.

"Follow him, guys!" Sora took off after the dog, Goofy and Donald quickly joining him. It wasn't exactly easy to follow Pluto as he wove in and out of the crowds in the city's main streets, but eventually he started taking some lesser used roads. The houses here were a bit more rundown than in the other parts of the town they'd seen so far. They were small, and laundry hung between windows on the upper stories.

After a bit, Pluto slowed, then turned into a narrow alley between two houses. Sora went in after him, peering about cautiously. It was shaded from the early afternoon sun, but light still filtered down, reflecting off the brick of the upper stories. Pluto led them over to a little pile of old newspapers and rags, where there was an empty cardboard box. A ragged blanket was tucked inside, and on top of it lay a couple of well-gnawed bones. Pluto went inside the box and sat down to chew on one of the bones.

Sora sighed in frustration. "Is that all you wanted?" He looked around. "Doesn't look all that nice here…I wish you could have found someplace better to live."

Pluto just looked up at him placidly, thumping his tail.

"It isn't that bad," said Donald. "It isn't very cold here, and this is a pretty clean alleyway as far as alleys go."

"Yup!" Goofy pointed to a worn out little teddy bear hidden in a corner of the box. "And it looks like he's got a friend! Wonder who gave that to him?"

Sora perked up his ears, listening; he could make out sounds from the building next to him. It sounded like children laughing, but he couldn't tell for sure, as it was muffled. "Did one of those kids bring you the bear?" He could have sworn that Pluto nodded, but that was a bit ridiculous, wasn't it? Pluto surely couldn't understand everything he said. _Then again,_ whispered a part of his brain, _did you forget that you're traveling with a walking, talking dog? Goofy may not look much like Pluto, but they're probably distantly related._ Sora grinned and shook his head. He'd gotten so used to the oddity of it all that he seldom thought about it much anymore.

As he pondered this, Sora's eye caught a scrap of white tucked behind the teddy bear. He reached in and pulled at it, drawing out a paper envelope. On the back side, where the flap folded over, sure enough - there was the king's seal, an impression in the wax of three circles that reminded him of the king, looking a little like a head and two round ears. "Hey guys, I think we've found it!"

"Really?" Donald practically crashed into him, standing on tiptoe to try to read over Sora's shoulder. Goofy joined them, and Sora broke the letter's seal and began to read aloud.

_Hey pals, I just wanted to tell ya not to worry! I know we got separated when the door to darkness closed, but everything's okay - I'm sure there's another way out of here, and I bet we'll be out real soon! Don't worry, I'll take good care of your pal Riku, Sora. Right now you just gotta find the door to the light - that's the most important thing. Oh yeah, and Sora, wouldja take care of this for me? I found it and thought it might be useful to ya._

The letter was signed only with the king's seal, but it was obvious from the tone of the writing who it was from - at least to Donald and Goofy. Sora could only judge by their reactions, not knowing the king himself.

"What does he mean, everything's okay? He's in the realm of darkness!" Donald quacked. "How's he supposed to get out?"

"Gawrsh, I dunno." Goofy shrugged. "But if the king says he'll do something, he'll do it! And besides, Riku got out somehow, so I'll just betcha the king's with him. After all, Naminé said someone was helping him, didn't she?"

Sora nodded. "You're right, she did. I'm sure your king's okay, so don't worry, Donald!"

"Aw, phooey," the duck muttered. "If you say so. But what's he talking about? What did he find that would be useful to you?"

"Hmm, I don't know." Sora shook the envelope, and something rattled. He upended it over his outstretched palm. A small, blue stone fell into it, glowing very faintly in the dim light of the alley. "What's this?" He held it up, peering at it.

"Looks kinda familiar, don't it?" said Goofy.

It was hard to read in the darkened alley, but Sora could make out writing on the stone. "Starblaze," he read slowly. "Hey! I know what this is - it's a summon gem!"

"But all the summon gems vanished when the barriers went back up! Where'd this one come from?" Donald frowned.

Sora shrugged. "I don't know, but we're not really sure the barriers are still holding anyway, right? Let's not worry about how it got here. I'm sure the king's right and it'll be useful, so let's see if we can awaken it!"

"But how? We haven't got that there Fairy Godmother to help us now."

Sora grinned at Goofy. "Don't worry, I'll bet I can handle it! I mean, I've learned a lot since then. How hard can it be?" Sora produced his Keyblade, the grip settling easily into his hand as he called it to him. "Let's see if this works…" He placed the summon gem on top of Pluto's cardboard box, then took a few steps backward and held the Keyblade out, pointing it at the gem. He focused, drawing magic power from inside himself. Instead of releasing it as one of the spells he'd learned during his journey, he took the power and pushed it into the Keyblade, willing the magic to come out the other side as a focused beam of light. He wasn't sure if this would work, but somehow it seemed to be along the right lines. It was almost like intuition…perhaps some sort of knowledge that came from the Keyblade.

The beam focused, light spilling over the gem and sloshing down the sides of the cardboard box. Pluto continued to peacefully chew his bone, ignoring it. The beam continued to flow for a moment, but then it began to waver, the Keyblade shaking. Sora tried to hold onto it, but before long the beam of light vanished, flowing back through the Keyblade and hitting him full in the chest. "Oof!" Sora was knocked to the ground, the Keyblade vanishing from his surprise. He sat on the cobblestones of the alley floor, blinking. "Oops? I guess that didn't quite work."

Donald pointed at Sora, clutched his belly, and laughed hysterically in a way that only the duck could. Sora scowled at him, but he had to admit, it was sort of funny. He could only imagine the look on his own face as he went flying backward. Goofy chuckled a bit too at the sight.

Sora stood and dusted himself off. "Well, fine then, _you_ give it a try, Donald."

"I will! You should've asked me to begin with. My magic's a lot better than yours." Donald held out his staff and cleared his throat, then paused. "Um…what was it you did?"

Sora snickered. "Try focusing the magic through your wand, but don't make it into a particular spell. I tried to make a beam of light. It seemed like it was working for a minute there."

"Okay." Holding the staff aloft, Donald muttered something under his breath. A moment later, light spilled from the staff and flowed over to the stone, washing it in light again. This time it held steady, and when the light trickled away to pool on the ground before vanishing, the small stone glowed brightly, pulsing steadily blue.

Sora grinned. "Hey Donald, I think you did it!"

"Well, of course!" Donald huffed, putting his staff away.

Sora stepped forward and picked up the stone, which felt pleasantly warm against his fingers. "Now let's see if we can find out who's inside of this thing." Calling the Keyblade back again, Sora held it aloft and tossed the summon gem into the air. Gathering power from the Keyblade, he called to the gem as it rose and began to fall again in a smooth arc. Before it hit the ground, a swirl of light came from the Keyblade and touched the stone. Sora lowered the Keyblade as the gem hovered, sparkling. Then there was a bright flash, and suddenly a blue streak rocketed into Sora, knocking him over again.

Sora lay on his back, staring up at an extremely odd little creature. It perched on his chest, grinning at him with one of the biggest mouths he'd ever seen. "ALOOOOOOOHA!"

Sora blinked. "A what?"

"I think he means hello, a-hyuck."

Sora stared at the creature. It was small and fluffy, covered with blue fur from head to toe. Aside from its huge mouth, it had an oddly shaped blue snout, big floppy ears, and large eyes that were solid black, except for a faint glint of reflected light. Even more oddly, in addition to the usual two legs, he appeared to have four arms.

"Um…could someone get this animal off me, please?" Sora pleaded. "I'm not sure if he's going to hug me or eat me."

The creature climbed off Sora on his own, however, looking indignant. "Not an animal!"

Donald approached cautiously as Sora sat up, rubbing his head. The duck poked at the creature with his staff, but the blue fuzzy thing dodged it, baring its teeth at Donald in a horrible grin. Goofy watched, looking merely curious and unconcerned.

"Well, what _are_ you then, if you're not an animal?" Sora eyed the thing, looking baffled.

It sat down and twitched its stubby tail. "Puppy."

Sora blinked at it doubtfully. "You don't look like any puppy _I've_ ever seen."

The thing grinned, drawing itself up proudly. "Nope!"

"Gawrsh, where could it have come from?" Goofy mused. He didn't flinch as the creature came over and started to sniff his shoes.

Sora stood up, clasping his hands behind his head. "I don't know, but it can talk, at least. Still, it might not really know what happened. Its world probably got destroyed like the others, so how would it know?"

The blue thing shook its head. "Stitch not know what happened. All of a sudden, boom! Then here."

"Stitch? Your name's Stitch?" Sora cocked his head. "That's kind of odd. What kind of animal are you, anyway?"

"Told you, not an animal! Stitch very smart."

Donald crossed his arms over his chest and harumphed. "Well then, if you're so smart, how come you talk that way?"

"'Cause."

"That's not an answer!" Donald sputtered. "Besides, what puppy ever had two legs but four arms? That's just ridiculous!"

"Puppy!" the creature called Stitch insisted stubbornly.

Sora laughed. "All right, calm down, Donald. We might as well take his word for it. After all, for all we know, dogs in his world _do_ look like that. Goofy's a dog, and he's nothing like the dogs I'm used to from the Destiny Islands!"

"Yup, you're right!" Goofy said cheerfully. "So, uh, how's this little feller supposed to help us?"

There was a skittering sound at the back of the alley. Stitch whirled, producing two bright red objects seemingly from nowhere. In a second, two jets of some bright, almost liquid light hit the fence, leaving a sizzling hole near the ground.

"Maybe like that?" Donald shook his head. "He'd come in handy against the Heartless!"

"Just a rat." Stitch grumbled. "Sorry. Wait, you say Heartless?"

Sora leaned down. "You know about the Heartless?"

"Black creatures, attack everything! No hearts, just destroying. Right?"

"Yeah, that's them! Did they destroy your home, too?"

Stitch looked down at the ground and kicked a foot at the cobblestones. "Yeah. Lost ohana."

"Uh…ohana?" Sora scratched his head. "What's that?"

Stitch sat back, taking a tone as if reciting something. "Ohana means family. Family means no one gets left behind."

Sora's grin faded, and he felt something unpleasant in the pit of his stomach. "Yeah," he said slowly. "I guess I know what you mean, then."

"Sora?" Goofy patted the boy's shoulder, looking concerned.

"I'm okay, don't worry." He turned to Stitch. "I know how that feels. I left some people behind too. I didn't want to, and I'm trying to find them again."

"People…your ohana?"

"I guess you could say that, yeah." Sora smiled. "We've been friends so long we might as well be family."

Stitch nodded emphatically. "Ohana! Doesn't matter how long. Still family. Yep."

The boy couldn't help but grin. "I guess you've got a point. Well, I'll tell you what - while I'm looking for my ohana, you can come with us and we'll look for yours, too. What do you think?"

"Really?" Stitch grinned impossibly widely again, then pounced at Sora, wrapping all four arms around his leg and hugging it. "Stitch come help! Fight Heartless, find family!"

"Great!" Sora nodded. "Then we're agreed. Right, Donald? Goofy?"

The other two nodded, but as they did so, there was a flash. Stitch vanished, and a glowing blue stone dropped to the ground next to Sora.

"What happened?" asked Goofy, scratching his head.

"Don't you remember what happened with the others? They couldn't stay long outside the gems," Donald reminded him.

Sora leaned down and picked up the summon gem, cleaning it off on his shirt and stowing it safely in his jacket pocket. "That's right. The gems are creatures that would have been destroyed with their worlds, but their hearts were too strong, so they became gems instead. They can't be completely restored till their worlds are. So until then, our new buddy Stitch can only come out for a limited time."

"Oh yeah, a-hyuck. Now I remember." Goofy grinned, nodding.

"So what now?" Donald frowned. "This is great, but it doesn't tell us what to do next."

Sora sighed, folding his arms. "I think we're going to need a gummi ship. I don't see any way around it. We've got to get out of this place if we're going to find anyone, and even when the barriers were down, that was the only way to do it."

"But how are we supposed to find a gummi ship in a place like this? You can't just buy them at the corner store!"

"I know, Donald, but have you got any better ideas? Besides, Naminé said we needed to come to Gateway if we hoped to get offworld. It's just possible they might have seen gummi ships. We might at least be able to find some gummi blocks. If we have to, we could cobble together our own ship."

"Uh, Sora, I don't know nothin' about building gummi ships. You don't either, do ya?"

"Nope, but if we have to, we'll figure it out somehow! Come on guys, we can't give up yet. Let's at least go ask around, okay?"

"Oh, all right." Donald whistled. "Hey, Pluto, are you coming?"

The dog joyfully bounded out of his cardboard box, abandoning the bone he was gnawing.

"All right then, let's go down toward the docks and start asking around!" Sora nodded decisively, and the little band set off.

* * *

_A quick note about this chapter. Much of the basic premise and dialogue was based on some notes I'd scribbled in my idea notebook a few months back. Oddly enough, this was before I ever saw the trailers or magazine scans that showed Stitch appearing as a summon in KH2! I'm so good at predicting things. Besides which, Stitch as a summon is just plain awesome. Strangely enough, a couple of readers have hinted to me that I have an uncanny sense of how the story will go in KH2. No one has elaborated, and I certainly don't wish them to (no spoilers!!), but I find that interesting._

_Chapter 9 will be up shortly, as soon as I finish editing it. And as I said, chapter 10 is in the works, so it won't be long in coming either._


	9. Autumn Sunset

**_The Road to Dawn_**  
_By Ariana Aislinn_  
_Chapter 9: Autumn Sunset_

_Here you go, chapter 9. I took a few creative liberties with this chapter, fleshing out a little background. Also, returning characters, by popular demand!_

_Standard disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts and its characters are the property of Square-Enix and Disney, not me._

* * *

"After the wars of 586, the Unirians joined forces with the Jakaltans and sailed south. Some say that this alliance was a direct result of the Conference of Ailbin…"

Kairi stared at Professor Eisen through half-closed eyes, trying to listen but not taking much in. Her pencil twirled idly in her hand over her notebook, whose few scrawled lines bore testament to her difficulty in concentrating this afternoon. It was surprisingly warm for this late in the fall, and Kairi's shoulder-length brown hair stuck to her neck with sweat. She'd rolled up the short sleeves of her white school blouse, and that helped a little, but she was still rather uncomfortable. Tomorrow was supposed to be cooler, at least.

"…The original charter of the Destiny Islands was drawn up in 589. It was only two months after this that the Great Hurricane destroyed the ships and cut off contact with the north."

Kairi sighed and scribbled "Great Hurricane - 589" in her notebook. She really didn't want to be back at school. Still, Selphie and the others were going out to Waterfall Island this evening for a bonfire and cookout, while the warm weather still held. That should be fun, at least.

"The charter makes vague mention of the existence of the Seekers of Wisdom and outlines rules regarding apprenticeship and trade among them, but it does not go into the details of what, exactly, the Seekers did. Most think they were an early form of scientist, experimenting with chemicals and organics. The paopu tree is a result of these early experiments. There are some, however, who still say that the Seekers were magicians of a sort, with command over powers we have forgotten how to use in modern times. There is some evidence that this is, in fact, true, but it is sketchy and difficult to support…"

_Well, I know magic exists, for a fact,_ Kairi thought as she jotted down "Seekers mentioned in charter, created paopu - why paopu?" She reread what she'd just written. Why _had_ they created it? It served no practical purpose, as its fruit took years to grow. For this reason, and because of some general taboo surrounding the whispered legends of it, no one on the island ever ate the fruit - though it was said to taste good. Kairi had heard of lovestruck girls who had gone out to sneak a small bite off one of the fruits on the vine, then had tried to sneak a second bite into their crush's lunch. It never worked. She wasn't entirely sure why. After all, she knew magic was real - why not the legend of the paopu?

Still, magic didn't exist in the Destiny Islands. Kairi wasn't sure if it had once, but it certainly didn't now. _If it did,_ she thought, _I'd find a way to hunt Sora and Riku down myself!_ It was so frustrating, just sitting here these last few months, not knowing what was happening or where either of them was. They were all right, she was sure of it…she had a feeling she'd know if anything had happened. She wasn't really sure what had happened to Riku in the end, but she was sure Sora had found a way to help him get his heart back. No matter what, Kairi had confidence in Sora.

_But I can't hear his voice anymore._ Not that Kairi had ever been able to hear Sora, exactly - she would have given anything to be able to talk to him and find out if he was okay - but she'd had a certain sense of him. She recalled warmly how he had reminded her that no matter what, he was always with her - and she knew he still was, in a way. But for the last few weeks, that feeling had changed. Before, she'd been able to almost sense his presence in a way she couldn't describe, but now all she felt was a vague feeling that was barely more than a memory. She had absolutely no idea what that could mean, and it frustrated her all the more.

_Sora will come back, though. He promised._ She sighed. _I just wish I could be sure he didn't need a little help._

Kairi shook herself, trying to stay awake and focused. Class wouldn't last too much longer, and if she could just finish taking notes she wouldn't have to borrow Selphie's to copy later. Selphie's handwriting was a pain to try to decipher.

* * *

History class didn't take much longer, but it was late when Kairi finished with swim practice and extra rehearsals for the upcoming choir concert. Her stomach growled, demanding dinner, as she and Selphie walked along the beach toward the dock where their boats waited.

"So, you gonna change clothes and meet us back at Waterfall Island after dinner?"

"Yeah, I'll be there, Selphie. Don't worry." Kairi covered a yawn. "What a day! I'm really missing summer."

"Me too…but at least now you're too busy to brood!"

"Who, me? When do I ever brood?" Kairi stuck her tongue out at her friend.

Selphie giggled. "Well, you do have your moments."

They stopped, looking out at the sunset. "Beautiful, isn't it? Tonight's going to be a great night for a bonfire."

"Probably our last before the rains start. We'd better make the most of it!" Selphie paused, eyeing Kairi. The other girl was silent for a moment, staring out at the water. "Um…hello? You okay there?"

"Yeah, I…" Kairi slowly brought a hand up to her ear. She thought she could almost hear something, far away…like someone calling her. "Is that…do you hear anything?"

"No…" Selphie leaned over to look at Kairi, frowning worriedly. "Are you sure you're okay? You're acting funny."

"I…think I can hear him again."

Selphie sighed. "Not that again. Kairi, it's not good to dwell on this stuff!"

Kairi shook her head. "Well, it isn't as if I can forget them, you know! I know you don't entirely believe everything I told you, but you do believe me when I say that they're alive, right?"

Selphie nodded. "Yes, I believe you about that. But…come on, Kairi. I'm not sure I can grasp the idea of someone being literally in someone else's heart. Not that it isn't _perfectly_ romantic…" She ducked as Kairi swung her schoolbag at her. "Hey!" Selphie grinned.

"You just be quiet," Kairi grumbled, but she was chuckling as she said it.

"Well, I'm going to run on ahead - I said I'd go to the marketplace Palm Island and grab a few supplies for tonight. See you later, okay?"

"All right, bye!" Kairi waved as Selphie ran off, but she stayed where she was for the moment, still looking out at the sunset.

She'd stood like this often, watching the horizon in silence, as the last weeks of summer slipped away. She hadn't often had time since school started. Every time she stood there, though, she would remember another time recently, just a few months back, when she'd stood on the beach at night, watching the horizon as a storm of stars swirled around her. A misty nebula of light dwindled in the distance, carrying a familiar figure out beyond the sea as she watched him call to her, able to see him but not to hear his voice over the rushing wind. Stars flew into the air and settled into the sky as rocks and trees rose out of nowhere in a shower of sparkles. Kairi had watched as her island was restored to all its former glory, even as her best friend was carried away from her despite all her efforts to hold on.

Kairi shook her head, making a face. It wasn't like her to brood, as Selphie had said, and she didn't really like herself much when she was depressed. Kairi had always been upbeat and peppy, and she liked being that way. Besides, she had to have hope. She was sure their promise would hold. Rummaging in the pocket of her blue plaid skirt, Kairi pulled out a shell. Shaped like a shooting star, it had the same shape that had seemed so very sacred to those who had first settled the Destiny Islands. She'd kept it as a good luck charm of her own, to remind her that there was another charm out there that would hopefully bring Sora back to her one day.

Over the gentle sound of the surf, Kairi heard the soft, muted sound of footsteps in the sand. She turned, expecting to find Wakka or Tidus trying to sneak up and scare her, but to her surprise it was someone completely unfamiliar. The tall man was rather intimidating, in fact, not least because he wore a heavy, black leather coat that fell to his ankles, with a hood that was currently thrown back. Green eyes flashed underneath a shock of red hair as he grinned at Kairi in a way she wasn't sure she liked. "Boo."

Kairi took a step backward, hearing the squelch of her school shoes in wet sand. "How did you get here and what do you want?"

The man laughed. "Straightforward, aren't you? And quick, too. I suppose I should have expected as much."

"That's not an answer." Kairi paused. "You're not from the islands at all, I'm pretty sure. Are you from offworld?"

"Oh, _very_ quick! A bright kid like you definitely seems worthy of the company you keep, in that case. Good, that'll make things easier."

_"What do you know about Sora?"_ Kairi suddenly burst out, losing patience. "If you're from offworld, then you must know something about him! Otherwise, why are you here? You don't exactly set me at ease, you know, so I'd prefer it if you just came out and said what you came here to say."

"Hmm. I am a bit intimidating, aren't I? Well then, fine - we'll talk. Now, I couldn't tell you what Sora's up to these days - sorry, Kairi." The man grinned. "But I do have some advice for you."

Kairi clutched her schoolbag to her chest defensively. "Advice? Who sent you? How about Riku, do you know anything about him?"

He waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, I sent myself. As for Riku, we've met." He grinned. "Nice kid, a bit too much temper, though. Anyway, nice to meet you, my name's Axel. Now that we've got the pleasantries out of the way…how are your studies going?"

Kairi blinked, taken aback. "What?"

"School, kid. You been working hard in history class?"

"Yes…" she said slowly. "What does that have to do with anything?"

Axel crossed his arms over his chest. "I've been doing some research. Interesting history your islands have got here. Seems there's some debate about these Seekers of Wisdom though, isn't there? No one seems to agree on exactly what they did."

"Well, yeah. Supposedly they could do magic, but there's no evidence for it. And no one can do it anymore, either."

"I wonder." Axel leaned forward. "Maybe they just need a jump start, a little push."

"What do you mean?" Kairi asked cautiously.

"Think about it. How can you learn how to do something if you haven't seen it done? If you haven't experienced it? But I think you have. You know magic exists…in fact, you watched the entire process of learning and developing one's magic from a front row seat. Lucky kid."

Now Kairi was really perplexed. "What do you mean, a front row seat?"

"Now don't pretend you don't remember. Your pal Sora didn't know a spell from a limerick when he left these islands, and now he thinks he's all kinds of hot stuff with magic. So, tell me this. Who was with him all that time while he was learning to do his little hocus pocus tricks?"

Kairi blinked. "That was me. But…how did you know about that?"

"Ah, ah." Axel wagged a finger back and forth. "That's a secret! The point is, you, girl, were hanging out in Sora's heart the whole time he was learning magic."

"Yes, but it's not like I remember much of what happened all that time!" Kairi's voice was getting defensive. She didn't really like discussing something that felt so personal with a man she didn't know, especially one who put her on edge. There was something about him that made her distinctly uneasy. "What's your point?"

"My point, sweets, is that there's a very good chance some of that magic rubbed off on you. How could it not? A lot of the power for magic comes from the heart, after all."

She crossed her own arms, rubbing her shoulders briefly, as if feeling a chill. "So what are you saying, I can use magic?" She eyed him doubtfully.

Axel shrugged. "Who knows? You can't use it yet, that's for sure, but you might be able to learn. In fact, you might have the seeds of that learning inside you already, just waiting to be explored. Why don't you give it a try sometime?" He grinned.

"And what's it to you?"

"Oh…let's just say I'd be interested to see what direction things take. We'll call it…a wild card. To keep the game interesting."

"Sora and Riku are lost, I don't have any idea where they are, and you think this is a _game?_" Kairi's eyes flashed. "Who are you, anyway?"

Axel shrugged. "Nobody. I'm just a spectator, that's all…a spectator waiting to see how events will unfold. I just give them a little nudge now and then." With that, he suddenly vanished, dissolving into thin air. The only signs he'd been there in the first place were a few shallow footprints in the sand.

Kairi looked all around her, whipping her hair around her face as she turned this way and that. There was no sign of Axel. She stamped her foot angrily, but the _splutch_ it made in the wet sand was not nearly as satisfying as it would have been on firmer ground. She had no idea who that man was, but he certainly had a talent for being gratingly annoying! Kairi had to admit she could be fiery when her temper was roused, but it usually took a lot to get her worked up. How could this stranger make her so angry so quickly? She wasn't usually that touchy.

"Oh well," Kairi muttered, kicking the sand. "Better get home for dinner, or Granny will worry."

There was a lot to think about. With thoughts of the charter of 589, the Seekers of Wisdom, Sora's magic, the annoying man named Axel, and the upcoming bonfire swirling in her head, it was almost enough to make Kairi dizzy. She sighed and headed towards the docks, where her little rowboat waited to carry her to Star Island.

As Kairi climbed into the boat and set the oars in their sockets, she stopped. Come to think of it…maybe she ought to tell her grandmother about this. Who knew? The old woman might actually believe her. _Granny sure does know how to surprise me, after all. She might even have some advice._

With that plan in mind, Kairi set off for home, her steady, even strokes carrying the boat out into the strait. Leaving the school behind on Rainbow Island, Kairi set out for Star Island.

* * *

_There you go! Chapter 10 will be about Kairi as well, and then I think I'll take a break to catch up on Riku. We'll see once I get chapter 10 finished._


	10. Seekers of Wisdom

**_The Road to Dawn_**  
_By Ariana Aislinn_  
_Chapter 10: Seekers of Wisdom_

_And chapter 10 is finished! I apologize, I didn't wait to get this beta read before posting it. I'm pretty sure I took care of most major typos and any awkward writing, but if you come across anything I missed, don't worry. I'll get it beta read later and will repost this chapter with any necessary changes. I just wanted to get it up since a lot of interesting stuff was discussed in this chapter, and I'm curious what my readers will think! By the way, many thanks to the readers who have made detailed suggestions for me, both in reviews and in private comments to me. I've done my best to start using some of your suggestions in this chapter, and I hope it shows. I'll continue to work on it. I may also go back and make a few minor revisions to previous chapters._

_Standard disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts and its characters are the property of Square-Enix and Disney, not me._

* * *

Kairi dropped her schoolbag on the floor next to the front door, then kicked off her shoes and pushed them over next to it. "Granny, I'm home!" A delicious smell wafted from the kitchen. Heading back there, Kairi found her grandmother stirring a pot filled with something that bubbled enticingly.

"Hello, dear!" The old woman smiled, patting her neat, gray bun with her free hand as she continued to stir with the other. She was short and pleasantly plump, with a face criss-crossed with laugh lines. Kairi went over and gave her a one-armed hug, grabbing a warm biscuit from the plate on the counter.

"So, what are we having tonight?" Kairi sniffed appreciatively and bit into the biscuit.

"Brightfish stew and crab salad. Is that all right?"

Kairi grinned. "More than all right." She went over to the open window and leaned on the sill, munching the biscuit. The slightly chilly evening wind ruffled her hair, but the warmth of the kitchen at her back kept her from feeling too cold.

"You were a bit late getting home. Is everything all right?"

"Um." Kairi paused, thinking. "Not precisely. I ran into someone strange."

"Oh?" The woman's voice betrayed little, but her hand slowed in its stirring.

Kairi turned around to face her grandmother, leaning back against the windowsill. "Gran, do you remember much of what happened last spring?"

"Not a great deal, child. I remember the storm waking me up, and when I went to check on you, you were gone."

"That's right…" Kairi said slowly. "I remember having the weirdest urge to go down to Waterfall Island. I mean, I wanted to check on the raft, but there was something else, too."

"Yes. I was very worried about you, because I felt a familiar resonance from the storm."

Kairi blinked. "Resonance?"

"A kind of harmonic. I knew it was no ordinary storm. I'd been in one much like it once before."

"At Hollow Bastion."

Her grandmother looked a bit surprised, then smiled and nodded. "That's right. I didn't think you remembered."

"I didn't, not really…but it slowly came back to me once I woke up there."

"Funny how memories do that, isn't it?" The elderly lady tested the stew, then added a pinch of pepper. "In any case, I remember running outside to look for you. Off to the southeast I could see that strange cloud hovering over Waterfall Island, and then…nothing. It was as if I'd simply blanked out, and then I came to myself again, standing on the porch in my nightdress, and the night was perfectly calm and clear. I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me, but there seemed to be a meteor shower happening - one where the meteors rose up into the sky rather than fell."

Kairi smiled, remembering. "That's a pretty good description." She stared at her half-eaten biscuit. "Was it anything like what happened at Hollow Bastion?"

"…Not exactly. It was the same in some ways, different in others. In Hollow Bastion, I could hear the storm outside, but mostly we were under attack inside the castle. I looked everywhere for you, then grabbed your hand and ran outside. When the cloud appeared overhead, I held onto you tightly and thought only of our safety. That's when I woke up on the shore of Waterfall Island, with you asleep in my arms."

"I see." Kairi nodded. "Didn't you think it was kind of weird that I never remembered anything about home?"

The woman smiled. "A little, but I was grateful. You didn't seem to remember that terrifying night, and I think you were able to grow up without that shadow over you because of it. I knew the memories would come back someday, when you needed them. Memories are like that. But I've gone off on a tangent! Kairi, dear, you're distracting me from my original question. Who did you see on the way home from school?"

"I'm…getting to that." Kairi munched another bite of biscuit, then swallowed as her grandmother waited patiently. "I told you what happened when I came back to the island that night."

"I remember that." She laughed lightly. "We stayed up almost till dawn, as I recall."

"The thing was," Kairi continued, "you seemed to believe me. You didn't really question anything that I had said happened. Everyone else kept asking me if I knew anything about where Sora and Riku went, and I couldn't tell them - I knew they wouldn't believe me. The only person I told besides you was Selphie. Well, and Sora and Riku's parents…" She sighed. "That was hard. I think they sorta wondered if I was crazy, but they wanted so badly to believe that they'd come home eventually…just like I do."

Her grandmother set down her spoon and leaned over to pat Kairi's shoulder. "I think it helped when I told them they should listen to you, and that I was sure their boys would be all right. Still, they worry. What parent could help it?"

"The point is, Granny, you believed me! You never even questioned any of it. So I guess that's why I'm wondering now if you could help me figure out what to believe."

"About what, dear?" Picking up the spoon again, she tasted the stew. "Just about ready to serve. Will you fetch me a couple of bowls?"

Kairi went to the cupboard to do so as she continued to speak. "You know so much more about Hollow Bastion than I do. I don't even know much about my parents, except what you told me, that they had died in the attack. The place seemed vaguely familiar, and maybe a couple of the people I met, but still…you remember more than I do." She paused. "Did you ever meet a tall man in a black coat? With bright, spiky red hair?"

"Can't say I've ever seen anyone like that, child. I'd remember if I had. Why, is that who you met?" The woman frowned. "He sounds intimidating, whoever he is. What did he say to you?"

"Oh, I don't even remember it all, entirely. I was so mad!" Kairi set the bowls down to be filled as she went to fetch a pitcher of her grandmother's home-squeezed kanapa juice. "Whoever he was, that man really was irritating."

Her grandmother laughed. "I can only imagine what you said to him."

"Yeah, well, I'm not really sure what he wanted, exactly, but he seemed to be trying to prod me into investigating something. Remember how I told you about all the things Sora did while I was…well, while I was with him? I don't remember much of it, but he told me some later. He learned a lot. He got better at fighting - a lot better. He beat Riku, twice. Not only that, he learned magic. Can you imagine, Gran? Magic!" Kairi shook her head.

"Ah, yes," the woman said softly. "I remember magic. No one uses it here, but it was not uncommon in Hollow Bastion."

"Exactly!" Kairi pressed. "So maybe you can tell me what he meant when he said I could learn magic."

Her grandmother frowned. "You, dear? I don't believe you ever had the aptitude. If you had, you would have been trained before we left Hollow Bastion, even as young as you were. There were preliminary lessons that were given to the young ones, to help develop their magical instincts. After that, no real training would be done until around age twelve, but if you'd had any hint of ability at all, you would have received that training."

Kairi shrugged. "I don't know about that, but this man - Axel, he said his name was - told me that Sora learned magic while I was in his heart. He said that because of that, some of the magic might have rubbed off on me."

Her grandmother looked deep in thought. "It's possible, I suppose," she said slowly. "That, or…presuming you had some magic that was buried very deeply, it also could have awakened it. Buried magic is very difficult to reveal, but…well, it would make sense for you. After all, your parents were rather talented magic users. It always seemed surprising to us that you never showed any sign of ability."

Kairi blinked. "My parents could use magic? Why did I never know that before?"

Her grandmother laughed, setting steaming bowls of stew on the table and gesturing for Kairi to bring the salad bowl. "It didn't come up, child. Why would I have tried to explain, when you couldn't use magic, and no one in Destiny Islands even believes for certain that magic exists?"

"I guess you have a point." Kairi set the plate of biscuits on the table next to the salad, then took a seat. She and her grandmother halted their conversation for a moment as they each rested their arms on the table, one hand laid carefully over the other.

"May we be nourished by this food, both in our bodies and in our hearts." As soon as her grandmother finished the ritual phrase, they both tucked in eagerly. The food was indeed delicious, as always. After a moment, Kairi's grandmother paused from eating and eyed her granddaughter. "So, a strange man thinks you can use magic because of your experiences, and he wants you to try to learn. Is that it?"

Kairi nodded, swallowing a bite of salad. "Right. But I have no idea who he is or what he wants. I'm not at all sure I should trust him. Do I have any reason to believe what he says? And why would he care whether I can use magic or not?" She sighed. "How would I even go about learning, assuming it was a good idea to try in the first place?"

"Well, I might be able to teach you a little."

Kairi blinked. "…What? You…you know magic, Granny? But you never told me that!"

The old woman laughed. "Calm down, dear. I don't, not really. But I'm familiar with a few training methods, enough to explore and see if this strange man's claims are really true. That is, if you'd like to try."

Kairi sighed again. "I guess I don't have much of a choice. It's either that, or just keep wondering. Besides, if I had magic, maybe I could do something to help! That is, if I could figure out how to get off these islands and go find Sora…but at least I wouldn't get left behind again!" She set her jaw stubbornly, a look her grandmother was all too familiar with. The woman chuckled, watching her. "No, Gran, I'm serious! I really would have been in the way last time. But if I could manage to help somehow…that would be wonderful. It's my turn to do something, don't you think? Something besides just sleep inside someone else's heart!"

"I know, dear, I know. But do you really regret what happened?"

"…Well, yes, obviously. A lot of it was terrible. I still don't really know what happened to Riku. But you mean about being in Sora's heart?" Her grandmother nodded. "Well…to be honest, it felt safe. Warm. Like home, in a way." She smiled. "Kind of like being at home with you, eating your wonderful stew, Granny."

Her grandmother laughed. "Flattery will get you everywhere, dear. If you're not careful, I'll be forced to hunt down the fresh cookies I baked earlier today."

Kairi grinned. "Oh, no! Anything but that!"

As her grandmother took the dirty dishes into the kitchen and rummaged around to find where she'd hidden the cookies, Kairi looked out the window, thinking. As always, the windows remained wide open, letting the breeze in. They would close them before going to bed, but they always left the windows open until the weather turned cold and rainy in the winter. Gran often said that she'd spent so much of her time indoors when they lived at Hollow Bastion, she loved being that much closer to nature - though it was also because it was island custom, rather like taking your shoes off when you came inside.

The house was small, but cozy enough for the two of them. It was built with simple wooden planks and had a thatched roof, with a special type of paint and coating that the islanders had invented, which provided some insulation and protection from the winter rainstorms. Along with the building's natural wood color, some of the islanders had painted the trim, window frames, and doors a pleasant shade of summer-sky blue. When Kairi and Gran had appeared on the island so many years before, the islanders had been very welcoming. They stayed at the mayor's house for a while until their own house could be built. Kairi's grandmother had supported them by working as a seamstress, but if they ever had trouble scraping together enough money, one family or another would always help them out - that was the islanders' way. This place was so strongly home, and the people of the islands so much her family, that Kairi had never really felt any pressing need to find out more about where she came from.

That had changed, now. As she looked out the window, watching the filmy blue curtains sway in the breeze, Kairi couldn't help but wonder about her life back in Hollow Bastion - about her parents. She'd asked, of course, but Granny's answers had always been sketchy. That had never bothered her before, but now, having seen Hollow Bastion, she wondered where her parents had fit into life in the castle. For that matter, what was life like for a usual citizen of the place? It certainly hadn't been welcoming when Kairi had been there.

"Ansem changed the place after everyone evacuated or disappeared on the night of the storm," Gran had told her. "If what you say is true, then much has changed from the pleasant home I remember. So many strange machines, so much beauty stripped away - there used to be lovely tapestries and paintings, bright colors everywhere." Kairi's grandmother had sighed, shaking her head. "We always trusted Ansem so very much. He was our king, and we thought he was trying to protect us from the darkness when he sent us all away. We thought Maleficent had come to destroy our world, and our ruler was selflessly staying behind to cover our escape. We never suspected the truth."

Kairi knew it had hurt her grandmother to learn that truth, but she also felt pleased that the old woman had believed her so readily. Even Selphie didn't seem to entirely accept Kairi's story. The islanders had so little knowledge of anything outside their immediate experience, and even the tales of long-ago days that they studied in history class didn't quite seem real to most of them.

"…Hey, Gran," Kairi said slowly, a thought occurring to her. "Axel mentioned the Seekers of Wisdom. We were learning about them today in school. Do you know anything about them?"

Returning to the table with a plate of cookies and a pitcher of frosty milk (fresh from a neighbor's cow), her grandmother frowned thoughtfully. "A little, yes. It seems a strange subject to bring up, though, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, just what I was thinking. I mean, it sounded like he was trying to get me to believe that the islanders couldn't use magic mostly because they'd just forgotten how, and that somehow being in Sora's heart awakened my natural power. But I'm not from the Destiny Islands! So why would he bring that up? I mean, he knew a lot about me, and about Sora and Riku. So wouldn't he know I'm not from around here?" Kairi shrugged, grabbing a cookie and biting into it. "Mmm, these are great! You know I can't resist chocolate chip."

Her grandmother winked at her. "Oh yes, I do know that!" She took her seat, setting down a steaming cup of tea for herself and stirring it idly with a spoon. "Well…I don't know much, but if I were to hazard a guess, I'd say that this man mentioned the Seekers of Wisdom because he was _not_ just talking about the Destiny Islands."

"Um…what do you mean?" Kairi blinked, pouring herself a glass of milk.

"I've heard of the Seekers of Wisdom before, dear. They used to be an order living in Hollow Bastion, but their numbers have dwindled greatly. The only one still alive that I ever knew of was Ansem."

Kairi's eyes widened, and she stopped just as she was raising a second cookie to her mouth. "_What?_ But…but how? I thought the Seekers were only from the history of the Destiny Islands! Are you sure it's not just another group that happens to have the same name?"

"Fairly sure, my dear. I spent some time talking with the mayor about the islands' history. There's a lot more to the tales of the Seekers than the basics you learn in history class, and they sound eerily similar to those I heard of in Hollow Bastion." Gran took a thoughtful sip of her tea. "Fascinating, really…perhaps I had better go see old Rufus again sometime soon. I may learn more."

Something sounded awfully familiar about this. Kairi thought for a moment, then remembered where she'd heard that term before. "Gran? Seekers of Wisdom sounds kind of…familiar. I just remembered, Sora told me that Ansem called himself the Seeker of Darkness."

Granny raised an eyebrow in a sharp arch. "Did he, now? That's…very interesting. A corruption of the original title, it would seem." She shook her head. "Such an intelligent man, but so very blinded by his own wrong conclusions."

"What else do you know about the Seekers?" Kairi pressed. "I think this could be really important. Can you tell me anything you know about Ansem? Anything at all?"

Her grandmother set her cup down on the table, her mouth set firmly in a thin line. "No, child. I can tell you some things, but there are others that I _will_ not tell you about Ansem." As Kairi started to protest, she held up a hand to stop her. "No, it is truly better for you not to know, for now. Some things you must be ready for."

"Fine," Kairi grumbled. "But…can you at least tell me why this guy Axel brought up the Seekers in the first place? Does he think my supposed magic power came from them? How might that be possible?" She frowned. "Were Mom and Dad descended from the Seekers, maybe?"

Her grandmother paused, then slowly shook her head with a smile. "I see that some things, at least, I cannot keep from you. You're too bright a girl for that. Yes, dear, your parents were descended from the Seekers, though they never chose to formally take the title themselves."

"So…Mom and Dad had magic, but I never did. But because I'm descended from the Seekers of Wisdom, I might have some magic that was hidden deep inside me, and being in Sora's heart as _he_ learned magic may have somehow awakened it. I guess that kind of sums up what Axel told me, along with what I just found out from you." Kairi sighed. "But what do I do with all of that?"

"You finish your dessert, that's what you do." When Kairi giggled, she shook her head. "I'm serious, child. We will test you later, perhaps tomorrow, to see if what this man Axel says is true. But for now, there's no use worrying about it any longer. You do have friends to meet tonight, don't you? You'd better hurry and get ready - it's not polite to keep them waiting." She smiled.

"Oh! I almost forgot! I'd better get changed." Hurriedly stuffing the rest of a cookie into her mouth, Kairi rushed off to her room, glass of milk in hand.

Kairi's room was very feminine, in a way that had often made Riku and Sora roll their eyes at her. She'd only just grinned whenever they teased her about it, though. "Just because I hang out with you guys doesn't mean I'm not a girl!" she'd laughed. The room was decorated mostly in purple and pink, with a few stuffed animals scattered here and there. There was a toy boat in one corner, along with an old doll Granny had sewn for her when she was little. Tacked to the walls was a length of fabric, spread out over the bed as a makeshift canopy. It was blue and purple, covered with a print of silver stars. The bedspread was a quilt of fancy, swirling patterns in varying shades of purple, one her grandmother had sewn. In fact, many of Kairi's clothes and other belongings had been made by Gran, except for a small handful of things she'd tried to make herself, with marginal success. Kairi had the talent for sewing but not the patience, as her grandmother had always said.

_I just don't like sitting still for too long,_ Kairi thought to herself with a smile, gulping down the rest of her milk as she rummaged in her closet for a change of clothes. She winced at the brief pain in her head from drinking the cold milk too fast, but it went away after only a second. Setting the glass down on her bedside table, Kairi stripped off her wrinkled school clothes and tossed them in the corner to be washed later. She hurriedly dressed in the outfit she'd chosen - one of her latest favorites, a short-skirted dress of pale pink, with a fitted, sleeveless bodice that zipped up partway over a white camisole. A charcoal gray hood hung at her shoulders, and a belt of the same color held a small pouch which contained a notebook and a few small necessities. Kairi liked it because it was snug, comfortable, and easy to move around in…and, she had to admit, she liked the way it looked on her. _I'm allowed to enjoy wearing pretty clothes,_ she reminded herself. _I know I'm kind of a tomboy, but what I told Sora and Riku was true - I am a girl, and I like girly things._ She sighed irritably. _I just wish people wouldn't assume that I prefer to just sit back and watch rather than help out because of it._ If she were being honest with herself, Kairi might have admitted that the islanders almost never thought of her as someone who'd rather watch than help. She was always involved, always ready to jump in and do her share, and most of the islanders were very quick to say so. Still, Sora's comment back in Traverse Town - that she'd really only get in the way - still stung…not the least because it had been a little true. As willing as Kairi was to do her share, she would have been in way over her head. After all, how long did it take Sora to gain the skills he needed to fight this enemy? Kairi had a long way to go if she expected to catch up to any meaningful degree.

_Well, I'm going to do something to help now,_ she thought stubbornly. As she quickly brushed her feathery, red-brown hair into some semblance of order, she realized she'd pretty much made up her mind. If it was at all possible, she was going to try to learn some magic, creepy man in a black coat or no. Axel had his own reasons, but he could take them and shove them. Kairi had reasons too, reasons that were more important than any worries or doubts about Axel's motivations. Sora had a promise to keep to her, but she'd made her own promise, silently, that she would do whatever she could to help bring Sora home, and to help both him and Riku fight the darkness until the threat to their islands was gone.

Once she was satisfied with her appearance, Kairi hurried out of her room, grabbing a couple of blankets and a jacket on her way through the living room. She kissed her grandmother's cheek as she passed through the kitchen on her way to the front door. "Good bye, Gran - I'll be back before midnight."

"Take care, dear! If I'm asleep when you come home, make sure you turn out the lights when you go to bed."

Kairi nodded, hurrying out the door. Her boat awaited at the docks, waiting to take her to Waterfall Island to meet her friends.

* * *

_Tada! I wasn't too happy with that chapter at first, but it started to pull itself together as I wrote, and I think I really like the result. Okay, gotta go now - it's late and I have to drive my mom to the airport in a few hours. Oo Next chapter soon though, and probably we'll go back to Riku, as I said! As always, leave reviews and I'll bounce with joy that people like my story, or consider any and all recommendations, either way. :P Feedback is good!_


	11. Enigmatic Memories

**_The Road to Dawn_**  
_By Ariana Aislinn_  
_Chapter 11: Enigmatic Memories_

_Hey all, I'm really sorry it took me so long to get this chapter up, after the incredibly fast pace of the first ten. There's a couple reasons - first, I finally had to sit down and plot out all the major story details from here to the end of this thing, since I couldn't put it off any longer. Second, I started playing Final Fantasy X for the first time. :P But I've been working on this chapter, albeit slowly, and though it took a long time in coming to me, I finally put together something that works. This may be rather confusing, but it'll all come together in the end, trust me! Oh, and I'm really sorry, I know I said I'd go back to Riku, but I really had to cover these events first. We'll get to him soon, I promise! I need all the characters in place first though..._

_Oh, and I've gone back and made a few minor revisions to previous chapters, particularly to chapter 8. Thanks to Koorino Megumi for providing additional beta reading on that!_

_Standard disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts and its characters are the property of Square-Enix and Disney, not me._

* * *

The soft, lilac lead of the pencil glided across the page, creating a smooth, flowing line. Naminé smiled in satisfaction - these new colored pencils she'd bought in Gateway worked very well. She would have to see if they had any new colors available the next time she went into town. Her drawing was coming along nicely - she was quite proud of herself this time. It was only for fun, for practice, but of course that was the kind of art she liked best. Today she'd chosen to draw something not from her imagination, but rather a sketch of this room where she spent the majority of her long, tedious days. The thirteenth floor of Castle Oblivion was entirely white, with white decorations, white furniture, and white walls - even the single crystal ball that sat in the center of the floor had a white base. Still, Naminé thought she had done a very good job of catching the hidden rainbow of colors, dancing in the light that filtered through the windows, reflecting faintly on everything and sparkling on the glassy orb. Even the sunlight was overly white, but the hidden colors were still there, visible to her artist's eye.

As she drew, a sense of peace filled the girl. She found herself slipping into that mental space she knew so well, a place where the solitude didn't bother her quite so much, where her worries and her relative imprisonment did not trouble her so. Time seemed to float, unrestrained by clocks or artificial measurements, so that Naminé really had no idea how long she sat there, drawing.

Most of the table had taken shape, and the crystal ball was a mass of gently arcing rainbows, which swirled across its surface, when Naminé felt an odd sensation interrupting the flow. She shook herself out of her creative reverie. She'd had that feeling before - though she could not really describe it well, it almost felt as if someone were there. It wasn't like the overbearing and faintly ominous presence of members of the Organization; it was much subtler and less threatening, but no less unfamiliar for all of that. Naminé had felt it before, but she still didn't know what it was. Was there someone here in the castle? If so, where?

Carefully setting the sketchpad down on the table, Naminé rose silently. She'd grown a little over the last few months, but not a great deal - she was still somewhat short for her age, and her skinny form looked so frail it almost seemed as if she would blow away in a strong breeze. It wasn't really due to mistreatment. Say what you like about the Organization, they saw that Naminé was provided with the essentials of food and clothing. She supposed perhaps it was something she'd been born with, maybe a childhood illness that had left her a bit stunted in growth, or her slight form might be an inherited trait. She really had no idea - it wasn't as if she remembered anything about her family, whoever they might be.

Naminé blinked and stopped just as she was raising a hand to the handle of the large, double doors. An image flitted through her mind, very briefly…a golden-red sunset, a weathervane lazily clinking in the evening breeze…and then it was gone. She blinked. Where had that come from? It felt almost…familiar.

The presence felt a little stronger now. Naminé grasped the door handle and opened it, looking in the hallway beyond - no one. She was alone. As she turned back to the room, however, she thought she heard faint footsteps, running down the stairs some distance away. It must have been her imagination, though, as there certainly couldn't be anyone else in the castle with her.

Raising her head as she turned, Naminé gasped, a hand flying to her mouth as she took a step back. She willed her suddenly pounding heart to slow, irritably berating herself as she met the gaze of the black-coated man before her. She really should be used to sudden arrivals by now; the members of the Organization very seldom knocked.

"Good afternoon, Naminé," Axel smirked, leaning against a pillar in a confident, almost cocky sort of pose. He seemed all too aware of the striking picture he made in the middle of the nearly colorless room, his midnight-black coat and fiery red hair a sharp contrast to the décor - not to mention Naminé's own appearance, with her pale complexion, fair blonde hair, and simple white shift.

She looked up at the man (he really was a great deal taller than she was) and tried to maintain composure, but as always, her voice came out soft and polite, and she could not quite meet his eyes. She never could, with the members of the Organization. "Can I help you?"

Axel grinned. "Why yes, you can, Naminé! Such a polite girl. I need you to come with me; we're going on a little visit. I have a dinner engagement with a friend, and I'll need you to come work your charm."

Naminé shuffled her feet uncomfortably. "I'm…not sure I understand what you mean."

"Of course you do, kid. I need you to do what you do best, what else?" Axel raised an eyebrow at her almost lazily.

Naminé set her mouth firmly, taking a slight step backwards. "Do you mean you need me to alter someone's memories?"

He chuckled. "Feeling a bit reluctant today, are we? Nah, don't worry, not today I don't. I just need you to…poke around a bit. Examine the memories. Find out what makes this friend of mine tick. You might just find out something I need to know."

Naminé considered for a moment. Examining memories was a bit different from altering them; after all, she usually needed to know a little something of someone's memories before she could make any changes to them. Still, it wasn't as if she could read them like a book - she usually could only grasp hints, an outline or silhouette of the whole picture. Axel should know that…but of course that hadn't stopped him - or anyone else in the Organization, for that matter - from asking this of her before. They greedily pushed her to gather any information she could find, despite her protests that it might not end up being much.

Axel was an enigma, though, even more so than the others. Sometimes he behaved one way, sometimes another. He was never exactly what you would call kind, but at times he was more forgiving than others, and he'd actually been known to give Naminé a bit more freedom than the other members might. There were times, however, when he was more intimidating than usual, and this seemed to be one of those times. It was something cold and hard in the green eyes and sharp grin.

Naminé sighed. "All right. Where are we going?"

Axel stepped forward. "We're going to pay a visit to some old friends…at a place called Hollow Bastion. Heard of it?"

She blinked. "I…think I have. I remember it from Sora's memories, I think…"

"Huh. I suppose you would." Axel frowned. "He did go there, didn't he? Wonder what the place looks like now. I haven't been there in a while, and I heard it's gone through a lot of changes…well. We'd better get going." With no more warning than that, Axel grasped Naminé's arm and phased out of the room.

Though this had happened to her before, Naminé had never been comfortable with it. There was a moment of breathlessness, a cold chill, and a rushing darkness, and then they were standing on a stone balcony. Naminé blinked, looking around. They were outdoors, and walkways and stairs lined the outside of the great castle that loomed above her. The sky was a rosy gold, and the castle shone gold and white in the sunlight. It was impressive and a little intimidating, but at the same time, it felt…warm. Certainly it was more welcoming than the cold emptiness of Castle Oblivion.

Dropping her arm with little ceremony, Axel turned to face Naminé, his arms folded in front of him and an appraising look on his face. "Hmm. I don't believe anyone here knows you, so that's all right, but as for myself…I'd better take a precaution or two." There was a flash, bright enough that Naminé had to look away for a moment, shielding her eyes with her arm. When she looked up again, she blinked - Axel no longer stood there, or rather, it was no longer Axel. The man before her did look somewhat similar to Axel - the facial features were a little different, the tattoos were gone, and the coloring was a bit paler, but the hairstyle and basic build and height were the same. However, Axel's long, spiky red hair was now a pale gray, and his usually bright green eyes were now a soft gray-violet. The black coat of the Organization was gone, replaced by a rather flashy, tailored white dress shirt, black slacks, a fancy purple sash, and a black, gold-trimmed cloak. Axel posed with a cocky grin, his hands on his hips. "Well, how do I look?"

"Well…" Naminé shook her head. "About the same, really. But if you mean, will anyone recognize you? I doubt it. Not unless they know you really well or something. I mean, I might know it was you, if I hadn't seen you change. Maybe."

"Better than nothing, then. It doesn't have to be perfect. After all, I doubt anyone here remembers me." Turning suddenly on his heel, Axel strode forward, clearly expecting Naminé to follow. She scurried after him as he approached two great, wooden doors at the end of the balcony walkway. As they reached the doors, Axel stopped, raising his hand to open them…then apparently changed his mind and dropped that hand, taking a step back.

Just then the doors opened, with an ancient creak and a muffled thud. Two young women walked through, so engrossed in their heated conversation that they didn't appear to notice their two visitors.

"Look, Aerith, all I'm saying is that I don't like where this is going." The speaker was a young woman, a girl really, with short black hair tied in a headband, and wearing a very practical combination of shorts, sleeveless fitted top, and knee-high boots. She seemed very much the athletic type. "People are returning to the castle, and that's great - but some people we used to know seem to be lost forever, and have you noticed how many visitors we've been getting from other worlds? Something's not right, I'm telling you. It's almost like we're in Traverse Town again."

Next to the animated, black-haired girl walked a much more serene, graceful woman, though her brow was currently furrowed in thought. She wore a long camisole of red and white, with a pale pink skirt cut of a rippling, flowing fabric. "I see what you mean, Yuffie…but I'm not really sure what's behind it." She sighed. "Just when I thought things were getting back to norm-" She stopped, turning, and her eyes widened as she finally became aware of Axel and Naminé.

Axel just stood there with a lazy grin on his face. As the girls turned to him, he nodded. "Afternoon, ladies."

The girls exchanged glances, and the one in the pink dress - Aerith, apparently - spoke up cautiously, "Who are you?"

"Name's Setzer. I'm here to pay a little visit…I'm looking for some information on the troubles you've been having lately. In fact, I'm interested in the very same problems you just seemed to be discussing." His eyes flashed as his grin grew wider. Naminé found it particularly disconcerting, and she couldn't believe that it would endear him to the two young women at all.

Aerith frowned. "Well, I won't say we aren't a bit frustrated ourselves, but…how did you find out about it, and why do you wish to know?"

"Yeah, and where do you come from?" Yuffie crossed her arms, frowning. "You look mighty suspicious to me." Aerith glared at her, and she shrugged. "What? He does!"

"If I could interrupt? All I really wanted was to talk to the guy you call…Leon, was it? Unless he's gone back to his old name…"

Aerith shook her head. "For a while we thought he would, but…for whatever reason, he still goes by Leon. We might be able to tell him you're here, but…"

Axel grinned again. "Oh, don't worry about me. I'll wait right here, and if he tells me to go away, so be it. But I think he might at least be curious. It's about a business proposition, you see. I'm a…merchant, of sorts, and it seems to me you might be in need of some of the goods and services I generally provide. I'm looking for new markets, y'see. So, can I see this Leon? I hear he's the one in charge these days."

Yuffie sniffed. "Well, kind of, but don't let him hear you say that. We're all trying to pull together at once, and people keep looking to him to lead, but it's not as if he wants to. He grumbles about it constantly, but he goes ahead and organizes everything anyway!"

Axel raised an eyebrow. "I see. Well, I hate to rush you ladies, but I am in a bit of a hurry. Do I get to see him, or not?"

Aerith paused, giving him a doubtful look, but finally she sighed. "All right."

"But Aerith, are you really sure this is a good idea?" Yuffie frowned.

"Leon can always say he doesn't want to see him." Aerith shrugged. "Let's at least see what he has to say."

Yuffie followed Aerith back inside the castle, but she threw a doubtful look over her shoulder as they went. The double doors closed firmly, and Axel turned to Naminé, the confident grin still spread across his face. "So far, so good!"

Naminé frowned. "What do you mean?"

Axel shook his head. "Never mind, nothing you need to worry about. Now, here's what I need from you." He raised a finger to Naminé. "I need you to find out what this Leon guy knows, if anything, about the barriers, the darkness portals, or the princesses, or the keyhole."

Naminé looked confused. "What? I don't understand. Can't you be a little more specific?"

"Sorry, kid, need-to-know basis and all. All I need is for you to tell me if you see any hint of anything that sounds like it might fit, okay? Even if you think it's not important, anything to do with barriers, portals, princesses, or keyholes. I think you'll know it when you see it." He paused. "And another thing - I need you to find out if this Leon guy seems to have any memories of me at all. Me, that is, not this disguise. I used to know Leon, wayyyy back, but I'm really not sure he remembers. I'd like to know for sure. Think you can do that?"

"Ah…yes, I might be able to…" Naminé blinked. "But why? It seems such a small thing, and you could just ask him, couldn't you? Just…drop a hint, or something, maybe mention your name in passing?"

Axel raised an eyebrow. "No need to question, girl. I gave you an order, didn't I? I don't need arguments. You don't know this guy; I do, if only by reputation. He's a hard nut to crack, and he doesn't let on anything he doesn't fully intend you to know. And before you ask, I'm not going to risk dropping my disguise or giving anything away. Now, that's really all you need to know, and more. So, are you going to cooperate, or do we have to have a little talk later?" Axel glared at her.

"Ah…no, sir." Naminé looked at her sandaled feet, shuffling them nervously. Under the concealing curtain her blonde bangs made as they fell forward, however, her eyes glared fiercely. She was getting very tired of taking orders. After meeting Sora, she had often had mixed feelings about the things the Organization wanted her to do. Before, she'd done it because she had little choice, and often no pressing reason to refuse, except out of sheer contrariness - which was, to be honest, somewhat out of character for Naminé. Lately, however, she'd found herself growing steadily more defiant. She didn't often show it, but it came out in unexpected ways, such as now. She found herself imagining Axel running frantically from a rabid bear, and it took all her effort not to grin suddenly.

This pleasant thought was interrupted as the doors opened again. The quiet girl in red, white, and pink poked her head through and motioned to Axel and Naminé. "I caught him just as he was off to go do today's training. You'd better make it quick, though…he's a bit disgruntled about the delay. Sorry, Leon's been in a bad mood lately. I hope you'll understand." She smiled apologetically as she led them into the entrance hall and up the stairs.

As Naminé followed Axel and the girl - she thought she'd heard the other girl call her Aerith - through the entrance hall, she glanced around curiously. It was a grand and imposing sort of room, or at least it obviously had been - but at the moment it was rather cluttered with half-swept debris and several strange partitions and screens. Looking more closely, Naminé realized that they were barriers of different kinds, such as cloth, paper, or wood, all set up for the apparent purpose of separating small blocks of space. Inside one such secluded area she could see what looked like an unoccupied sleeping pallet.

"Um…excuse me, Aerith, was it?"

The older girl turned and smiled at her. "Yes?"

Naminé waved a hand to indicate the cluttered room. "If you don't mind me asking…what's all this?"

Aerith sighed. "Oh, that. We're running out available rooms in the castle for some of the refugees who have arrived, and right now the weather really isn't conducive to setting up outside shelters. There are plenty of empty rooms in the castle still, but…some of the machines and things that used to be here still wind through the place, and some parts are damaged or unpredictable. Until we can make sure those areas of the castle are safe, we're setting up temporary sleeping quarters in here. I think most of the refugees are off doing chores, right now. With so many people to feed, there's a lot to be done, and it also helps to keep them busy and keep their minds off their troubles. Several groups are actually working on clearing out some of the old machinery right now, too."

She spoke for Axel's benefit as well, glancing back to meet his eyes as well as Naminé's every now and then. She seemed every inch the polite hostess. Naminé guessed that she had believed Axel's story about wanting to investigate the refugee situation. Of course, for all Naminé knew, he'd been telling the truth about that, if not the business proposition. Who knew what Axel would think important? For that matter, she still didn't understand exactly what he wanted here.

Aerith ushered them up the stairs and around a bend to a set of wide, wooden double doors. They creaked open with ancient slowness to reveal a sunlit library. A slight mustiness filled the air, but it seemed open and pleasant nonetheless. Naminé looked around curiously, wondering what sort of books one might find in a place like this. Wistfully, she wished she might have a chance to look around, but she was sure that as soon as Axel found out what he needed, he'd whisk them both off immediately.

"Leon, here are the visitors I was telling you about." They approached a table settled beneath the winding staircase to the upper levels. A stern-faced young man leaned back in a chair, his booted feet resting on the table. Aerith raised an eyebrow at that, but said nothing. She turned back to the two guests. "Now, please ask whatever you wish, within reason, but do understand that he may not be able to answer everything. And please don't take up too much of his time - as I said, he is very busy, and we all have a great deal to do around here, trying to take care of the refugees and fix up the castle." With a brief smile, Aerith hurried off, leaving them with the rather intimidating man before them.

Leon was a very serious looking young man, with long, somewhat unruly brown hair and dark eyes. He wore black pants and a white shirt, as well as a black jacket trimmed with red and silver. He sighed and waved idly at the two. "Hi. Name's Leon. Who're you?"

Axel deftly stepped forward and made a slight bow with a little flourish of his hand, effectively putting himself between Leon and Naminé. She realized that he obviously wanted to draw as much attention away from her as possible. "Greetings. My name is Setzer, and my assistant and I have come to investigate the current troubles here. I'm a businessman of sorts, you see, and it seems to me we might be able to work out a mutually agreeable arrangement that might help you provide necessary supplies for all these refugees you've been having lately…"

Leon looked slightly exasperated, but there did seem to be a spark of interest in his eyes. Naminé detected a slight amount of desperation - he really did seem to be at his wits' end about the refugee situation. It really was very odd, and Naminé couldn't help but wonder how all these people had come here. Still, now was not the time to worry about that. She shook herself slightly and got down to business, closing her eyes and concentrating. She carefully reached out to Leon's mind, probing gently for images and ideas that might float on the surface, attempting to read some of those surface thoughts and memories without letting on that anything out of the ordinary was happening.

Naminé's eyes widened, and she reeled, stumbling a couple steps backward until she backed up against a pillar. Putting her hands out for support, she steadied herself against the pillar, her eyes still wide and staring. She never would have expected such strong memories to be so close to the surface, particularly in a man so apparently closed-off and reticent. But even more than that, the nature of the memories…

Several familiar faces stood out in Naminé's mind, some she had seen very recently. But the one she found most curious was the image of Axel's face - an unsure, panicked teenager, red hair plastered against his face by rain and wind, calling out desperately across a chasm of some sort. His words could not be heard, but Naminé thought he was calling someone's name. Still staring at nothing, she saw the image again in her mind. She watched the young Axel's lips move, and she tried to make out the sounds…

_"Kai…ri…!"_

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_There you go, hope you liked it. ;) I don't know when the next chapter will be up, but hopefully it won't take me as long as this one. As I said before, I know exactly where the story is going now...the trouble lies in getting it from point A to point B. Anyway, the next chapter will cover Naminé again, and then we'll start getting all the characters' paths to cross, finally! It'll all make sense eventually, I promise!_


	12. Farewell to Castle Oblivion

**_The Road to Dawn_**  
_By Ariana Aislinn_  
_Chapter 12: Farewell to Castle Oblivion_

_Whoa, chapter 12 practically wrote itself! Thanks muchly to Koorino Megumi for beta reading it for me, as well as for providing some proofreading on chapter 11, which I just uploaded. And thanks to Perhelediel for also reading chapter 12 over for me before I posted it! I'm really pleased with the direction things are taking now, and I'm getting just the intended reactions from my readers. This is fun. :D Okay, and this time I absolutely seriously PROMISE that Riku will be in the next chapter. Really._

_Standard disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts and its characters are the property of Square-Enix and Disney, not me._

* * *

"Hey, kid! Kid! You okay there?"

Naminé staggered a little, shaking her head and coming back to herself. "…What?"

Leon stepped back with a sigh, letting go of her shoulders - she realized he'd been shaking her gently. "You spaced out for a moment and started uh…whimpering." He jerked his head toward Axel. "Your _friend_ there wasn't too concerned, said you do this all the time, but I want to be sure - you all right?"

Naminé nodded. "Oh, yes, thank you. It was nothing. I just…sometimes I do that, but it's no big deal. Really."

Leon looked doubtful at her rather overzealous protests, but he shrugged and sighed again. "Okay, whatever." He turned and walked back to the table, hands in his pockets, and rested one foot on the chair he'd been occupying. While his back was turned, Axel looked at Naminé and glared fiercely, mouthing silently to her, _Don't draw attention to yourself._

Well, she'd certainly _try_ not to, but it wasn't often that Naminé explored the memories of someone who felt so strongly about them. She wondered when this Leon could have met Axel, and what could have happened to make the ordeal so upsetting. She wanted to have a closer look at those memories, but she was afraid to…what if she lost control again? Still, she would have to look again, in any case - Axel had wanted to know more, and he'd be irritable if she didn't follow through.

Leon turned to face Axel, scowling. "Look, I wouldn't waste my time with you if it weren't important. As you've heard, we've got a lot of problems around here, and feeding and clothing the recent arrivals is a major issue. So let's get this over with. What can you offer as far as goods and services to help these people, and what will you ask in return?"

Naminé listened curiously. It seemed the conversation would be over very quickly if Axel couldn't bluff his way through it well enough. She'd have to find out while working, though. Pretending to examine a bookcase, she shifted her awareness over to Leon's mind again, touching his memories even more lightly and cautiously than before.

The memory of the young Axel in the storm had retreated, apparently dismissed by Naminé's brief distraction. She couldn't help but wonder what had called it to his mind in the first place. Maybe it was Axel's face - while his disguise was very good, his facial features had not changed much. It was possible that the sight of him had resonated with Leon's memories. Perhaps that was the last time he'd seen Axel. Naminé would have to wait until later to speculate further, however. Turning her mind to the task at hand, she sifted carefully through the surface memories she could see, taking a closer look at anything that seemed significant. There wasn't a great deal, but she did find some memories of some young women who seemed to be princesses, a few trace thoughts about barriers, and quite a lot about a keyhole - it seemed that was a worry that had been much on Leon's mind lately. There was nothing about darkness portals, however. Ah well, hopefully it would be enough to satisfy Axel.

Naminé was very curious about that memory of Axel as a youth, but she didn't dare probe further. Doing so would certainly make Leon aware of what she was doing. She could have done more, but it would have taken time, and she may have had to actually go in and make some alterations in order to sift through the memories properly. For that, she usually needed her sketchbook as a focus. In any case, she'd done the best she could to get what Axel wanted, and hopefully he would be satisfied with that.

"…I believe I can provide you with inexpensive bedding and furniture to replace what was removed or destroyed, and I may be able to come up with some extra clothing for reasonable prices. Shall I have a representative return with the paperwork soon?" As he spoke, Axel gave Naminé an impatient, questioning glance. She nodded almost imperceptibly to show that she was finished, and Axel turned back to Leon, smiling affably.

"Sure," Leon muttered. "Whatever works. Can't deny that we need it, and I think we can pay for it, for now at least. Go ahead and bring some merchandise in so we can take a look." He straightened, stretching his arms upward. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm overdue for training. I'll send Yuffie to show you out." With no more farewell than that, he stalked out of the library.

The instant Leon was gone, Axel rounded on Naminé, slapping her full in the face. She reeled, pressing her hand to her stinging cheek as she stared at Axel in shock. The man seethed with rage. "Don't you _ever_ do that again! Do you know how stupid it was to call attention to yourself? Haven't I told you to keep a low profile?"

"I-I'm sorry!" Naminé stumbled over her words, trying to appease him, but her eyes flashed indignantly. "I was trying! Is it really such a problem? He didn't notice anything…"

"No, but he could have! What if he'd recognized you?" Axel's fists shook with barely restrained anger and agitation.

Naminé thought carefully, staring at him, before she spoke. "…Why would he recognize me?" she said slowly.

Axel seemed to come back to himself, and the anger fled as quickly as it had come. "No reason. You just might look a little familiar to him. It's a long story."

"No, you can't just leave it at that! Does he know me? Have I met him before?" Naminé was so intent on forcing some answers out of him that she had almost forgotten her still-burning cheek.

Axel laughed. "Nope, you've definitely never seen each other before. Why, curious about your past, memory witch?" He sneered at her.

Naminé lowered her head and looked at the floor, clasping her hands behind her and shuffling her feet. "N-no. I know there's nothing to learn about it."

Axel nodded. "That's right. Just remember whose shadow you are."

She looked up. "You mean he knows Kairi?"

"Yep. You're not important - your slight resemblance to Kairi is. You're nothing, remember, nothing but a witch. A witch who does what she's _told,_" he snarled, "and don't you forget it!"

Just then, the library door creaked open again, to admit the smiling, bubbly girl in black from before. As soon as she entered, Axel was all charming smiles again, as if nothing untoward had happened. Naminé rubbed her cheek resentfully and followed the other two out of the room. She was angry, in pain, and frustrated, as well as a little bit confused, but also…sorrowful.

She had no past to speak of, it was true. Sometimes she was sure there had been something - a home, a family maybe, a childhood - but she could remember nothing of it. She was Kairi's shadow, she knew - she had felt the strange connection in Sora and Riku's memories, and she could sense the girl herself, off somewhere in the distance across the worlds. What Naminé wasn't sure of, however, was if that was all she was. What was there to her besides her work for the Organization? There had to be something. She just hoped she could find it someday soon…

* * *

As soon as Yuffie left them at the castle gates, Axel whisked them both back to Castle Oblivion. After changing back to his usual black-coated, red-haired appearance, he curtly demanded Naminé's report on what she had found. "All right, tell me what memories this Leon guy had. Did he know me at all? Did he remember me?"

Naminé hesitated. "Er…yes. There was a memory, from a long time ago. You seemed…young. There was a storm, and…you were calling Kairi's name -" She stopped, suddenly, seeing the look on Axel's face. His fists were clenched, and he took a step toward her.

"That…was not the memory I was looking for." He glared fiercely at her. "Don't _ever_ mention that again." There was a long, uncomfortable silence, in which Naminé stared at the ground and tried to disappear. Finally Axel shook his head. "What about the rest? What else did you learn?"

Relieved at the change of subject, Naminé told Axel what she had found out about the other subjects he'd asked her to explore. Scant though it was, he seemed satisfied. He listened, nodding, as she explained what little she had learned, and then he vanished without a word and without warning. It seemed very strange behavior, but Naminé had to admit she was relieved. She'd never seen Axel in such a rage.

It occurred to her that maybe Leon had also stirred up strong memories in Axel - perhaps even the same memory she had seen. Was that why he was so upset and defensive? He'd certainly seemed upset enough when she started to tell what she'd seen. Naminé sighed, shrugging. Who knew? Trying to ignore the slowly fading pain from the slap, she wandered back over to the table.

Her sketchbook was where she had left it, but lying in the middle of the drawing of the crystal ball was a note. It was written in a scrawled, unfamiliar hand, and it simply said, "Come to the room with the crystals."

Her curiosity rose, but so did caution. Who would have left a note? She had thought she'd sensed someone in the castle earlier, but whoever they were, they weren't of the Organization. Who could possibly be here, and would they wish her good or ill? Naminé's curiosity won out, though, and she gathered up her notebook and pencils and went out into the hall.

As she pushed open the door to the room that held the crystalline sleeping structures, Naminé blinked in surprise. She knew the strange, somewhat intimidating man who stood calmly before her - though she had only met him once before. He was dressed entirely in red and black robes, with red bandages obscuring his face. In a way, he had a bit of a similar feel to those of the Organization, meaning he was not the one Naminé had sensed earlier. But who was he? She was quite sure he wasn't a member of the Order, if nothing else because he wore no telltale black coat. When they had met previously, he had only given Naminé the most cursory of introductions.

The man bowed his head slightly. "Greetings, Naminé. It is good to see you again."

Naminé hung back a little, her sketchbook and pencils clasped to her chest. "Ah…hello, DiZ. I'm sorry, I'm just…a bit surprised to see you in the castle again."

He might have smiled, but it was difficult to tell under the bandages. "I know. I realize that last time we met, I gave the impression that it was the only time I would ever visit you here. But you see, I've come to fetch you. I'm sorry to have come alone - I realize I am not the most comforting presence, and I did have a companion who might have made you feel more at ease, but unfortunately I had to send him away suddenly."

She blinked, confused. "What? Who?"

DiZ shook his head. "It matters not, for the moment - you'll meet him soon enough. It was imperative that Axel not find him, however. He came to fetch you rather unexpectedly, I'm afraid. We had intended to leave before that, but plans changed, and I remained here to await your return." He gestured to the sketchbook she carried. "Are these all your belongings, or do you have others to fetch?"

"I-I don't…" she stammered. "I mean - no, this is really all that matters. I don't have much. But where is it you want to take me, and why?"

The man shrugged slightly. "I wish I could give you answers, but there isn't time. We must hurry, before Axel or another member of the Order comes back. I know they do not come often, but after Axel's sudden arrival today, I do not wish to take any chances." He paused. "I realize you and I have only the briefest of acquaintances, and you have reason to doubt my intentions, but I am concerned for your safety - especially after Axel's behavior today."

Naminé slumped. "Oh…you knew about that? Yes, he was…rather frightening." She eyed DiZ, considering. It was true she had no pressing reason to trust him, but he had done nothing to harm her or show any harmful intent. Last time they had met, he had startled her by appearing out of nowhere, just after she had finished sending Sora and his friends off to sleep in the crystal pods. He had surprised Naminé by telling her that Riku was in the castle, and her curiosity had been piqued by his description of the effect the darkness had had on Riku.

_And then he made such a strange request,_ she remembered. _He wanted me to help Riku accept the darkness without giving in to it…but then he asked me to offer to lock Riku's heart to keep out the darkness. I could hardly tell what he really wanted me to do. He made it clear that I should give Riku the choice - and yet he seemed to encourage me to use my own judgment, as well. And…that's why I appeared to Riku as Kairi. Because I felt that helping him accept and use the darkness was better than letting him hate and destroy himself when he couldn't rid himself of it…_

Suffice it to say, DiZ was a very enigmatic man. But when Naminé had met him before, he'd seemed somehow…trustworthy, for all his rather frightening initial impression. Thinking on it, she found that she still felt inclined to trust him for some strange reason.

"In any case, I wish you to come with me. I know that all you know of me is from our previous meeting - and I did little to recommend myself, aside from making serious requests of a total stranger. I am grateful for your aid, nevertheless. Since I was unable to do so before, I now offer my thanks for your assistance in that matter." He bowed slightly to her.

Naminé blushed a little, but smiled. "Oh, I didn't do anything at all. Riku made his own decision. I just helped him understand the choices."

"Which was exactly what I had intended, and hoped for. Now, hopefully you realize that, if nothing else, I at least mean you no harm. Will you come with me? It is no longer safe for you to stay here."

Naminé thought back to the frightening rage in Axel's eyes earlier. It made her shiver, and it took only a moment's thought for her to nod. "Yes, I will come with you."

"Very well then." DiZ walked over to her and offered his arm. "If you will?"

Smiling at the unexpected courtesy, Naminé laid her small hand on his forearm. With no more farewell than that, she left Castle Oblivion behind - as empty as it had ever been.

* * *

_Tada! Chapter 13 will hopefully not be too long in coming, now that I've apparently got my momentum back..._


	13. Blind Faith

**_The Road to Dawn_**  
_By Ariana Aislinn_  
_Chapter 13: Blind Faith_

_Well, I was wrong, I didn't exactly get my momentum back. I was going to write the next chapter while on vacation, and that didn't happen...and when I got home, KH2 was waiting for me and I just couldn't wait to play it. For those who haven't played it yet...it's awesome! But even though I've now finished it and am on my second playthrough, I promise to keep this fic as spoiler-free as possible. (It's already very AU anyway.) Anyway, I did at least keep my other promise...Riku's back! (cheers) Okay, on with chapter 13._

_Standard disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts and its characters are the property of Square-Enix and Disney, not me._

* * *

It was a gloriously beautiful day, bright and sunny, but deep in the royal orchards it was quite cool and shady. The courtyards likely would have been a better place for practicing forms, but the soft, springy ground under the trees suited just fine.

_Step, step, bring the arm around slowly and smoothly…concentrate on fluidity and accuracy. Speed comes later. Step, whirl, slash…twist backward, thrust, parry…_

Sweat clung to Riku's forehead in beads and plastered his hair against the back of his neck. The Organization's signature black leather coat lay on the ground a short distance away, discarded before he'd begun the day's training. For practicing forms, he wore loose black pants and a plain, sleeveless blue shirt - and, as ever, a narrow band of black cloth, tied tightly around his temples and securely covering his eyes. His arms were noticeably muscled, and they strained slightly as he moved through the routine without pausing, moving Soul Eater smoothly from one strike to the next.

Riku noted with satisfaction that he had improved a great deal since arriving here six weeks ago - his stamina and control were both much better than they had been after he'd dragged himself out to the orchards to practice for the first time. Riku had spent the first week doing very little except resting, recovering, and thinking. It had taken some time for the ill effects of his trip through darkness to fade, and he still couldn't go without a blindfold in all but the dimmest light. Still, even his sight had improved - the mere fact that he could go outdoors at all on such a sunny day, blindfolded or not, attested to that.

Even so, Riku had not yet recovered from his ordeal, and it was starting to become obvious. He realized he'd been practicing for over an hour, and it was starting to show - his limbs were getting a little shaky. Walking over to the base of a nearby tree, he picked up a cloth and wiped the sweat from his face, letting Soul Eater vanish as he did so.

Riku had never really been sure exactly what Soul Eater was, come to think of it. It was certainly no ordinary sword. It had been a gift from Maleficent - or so he'd always thought, but the weapon had a sense about it that almost seemed to suggest that it had somehow chosen Riku. Certainly the sorceress had handed him the blade, but he got the feeling that if it hadn't wanted to belong to him, it wouldn't have allowed it. He wasn't sure if he liked this idea or not. After all, Soul Eater was a weapon of darkness - it responded to the darkness, and whenever Riku called upon that power, the sword's own power increased as well. As he was slowly coming to accept, however, he needed that darkness. Besides, after all this time, Soul Eater was almost like an old friend. He felt almost naked without it.

Gathering up his black coat, Riku tightened his blindfold and headed toward the castle. It was a warm day, and he found himself wondering if there was any chance of ice cream from the palace kitchens. He grinned. If nothing else, he had certainly been made to feel extremely welcome here in the last few weeks. Generally, if he had a craving, the palace staff would fall over themselves to satisfy it. Of course, Riku had to admit that he was a personal friend of the king.

As Riku pulled the handle of one of the wide, double doors that led into the castle proper, he found himself suddenly pushed backward, flailing to keep from falling as a mass of feathers, silk, and lace rammed into him.

"Oh no! I'm so sorry!" Daisy, the queen's lady-in-waiting, covered her beak in chagrin. "I should have been looking where I was going. Are you all right?"

Riku chuckled a little, brushing his hair out of his face and readjusting his blindfold. _Hmm. Getting kind of long…wonder if I should get a haircut soon._ "No, I'm fine, uh…"

She wagged a feathered finger at him. "Daisy. Not your ladyship, not Lady Daisy!"

Riku grinned and shook his head. "I remember. So, what's the rush? Is anything up?"

Daisy sniffed, straightening her tiara and smoothing the wrinkles in her purple gown. "Not really. Well, not more than the usual."

Riku crossed his arms in front of him. "Oh? Mad at Donald again?"

"Hmph." Daisy looked away, tapping her foot irritably. "I suppose." She looked at Riku out of the corner of her eye, and he very carefully kept his face politely blank. She did not seem entirely convinced, however, and she sniffed skeptically. "It's just…would it _kill_ him to write a letter?"

Riku grinned. "You never know! Come on, Daisy…it's not like I know him very well, but I do know what he's up to. As far as I know, he's perfectly safe. But he's been through a lot lately and I don't even know how he'd get a letter to you! I'm sure he's thinking about you, though."

"Well…I suppose. Maybe you're right. Maybe." She seemed a little placated, though.

"I was just on my way inside. I need a bath, I think, and then I was hoping for a snack…do you think the kitchen would oblige?"

The change of subject sweetened Daisy's expression considerably, and she smiled warmly. "Of course! You've already been told that you only need ask. You're our honored guest, after all."

"Sheesh, you don't have to say it like that! What do I look like, some kind of hero?" Riku grinned.

The duck gave him a wry smile in return. "Maybe more than you seem to think! But in any case, get inside with you." She shooed at him with a free hand. "If you like, I'll see if their majesties can spare a few moments to join us, and we'll all have a nice afternoon tea."

Riku bobbed his head in thanks. "That'd be great! All right, I'll see you in a little bit."

The two took their leave, Daisy continuing on to enjoy her stroll in the orchards as Riku headed inside the blessedly cool shade of the castle halls. He shook his head, grinning to himself - even now it was hard to believe he'd befriended such strange creatures. Who would have known people like this existed? Sure, he'd always dreamed of seeing other worlds, but sometimes he wondered if he'd ever had even the slightest inkling just how strange some of them really were.

The hallway was quiet and peaceful as Riku retraced the familiar steps toward the northern wing, where his bedroom was located. As he reached the bottom of the stairs, however, he heard a frenzied pitter-patter coming from the direction of the reception hall. He looked up, curious, his eyes adjusting as he squinted to see what the fuss was.

Two small, brown shapes came into focus, scampering down the hall. As Riku paused, watching, they skidded up to him, panting. The two little chipmunks were both outfitted in leather aprons, the trademark uniforms of their jobs as engineers. As soon as they had caught their breath, they both start jumping up and down in a rapid staccato.

"Riku!" Dale exclaimed. "Ya better come quick! Someone's here to see you."

"Yeah!" agreed Chip, nodding. "The king seemed kinda surprised…he said to fetch you right away! Can you come to the audience chamber with us?"

Riku blinked. "Uh…I guess so. Who's here?" He looked ruefully at his sweaty, rumpled clothing. "I'm really not fit to see anyone though…"

"That doesn't matter! His majesty said this was kind of important. I think he has something to ask you about the visitors."

_Visitors?_ Riku's heart rose. "Who is it? Who's here?"

Dale scratched his head. "Uh…I'm not sure, but one's a girl, and one's a really tall man who's kinda scary-lookin'."

Riku sighed. Not Sora and his friends, then. Oh well, it was too much to hope, and besides, what would he have done if it had been them? Better to just go see what was up. He shrugged. "All right then, I guess I'll come for now. But as soon as it's polite, I'll need to get away and go bathe!" He grinned ruefully.

"Right-o!" Chip motioned to him. "Follow us, then." The two chipmunks scampered off again, and Riku hurried to keep up.

The route to the audience chamber, while not quite as familiar as that to the kitchens or the orchards, was still rather well-known to Riku - Mickey had often invited him there or to the nearby library to discuss future plans. These visits had increased in frequency as Riku's strength slowly returned. To tell the truth, he'd been feeling a little restless lately. He still had some healing to do, but now that he was feeling better, the time to act was certainly nearing. The question was…what was their next course of action? They'd spent some time poring over books in the library, but so far nothing had really been of much use. _Well, depending on who these visitors are, we might have a little more to go on._

Chip and Dale skidded to a stop outside the door to the audience chamber, and Riku obligingly opened it, seeing as they were too small to manage unassisted. He strode down the long, red carpet toward the throne, where three figures stood talking. Mickey rested a hand idly on the arm of the throne but did not sit in it at the moment. His two visitors faced him, the taller one composed and at ease - but the girl seemed very uneasy. As Riku neared them, he realized he recognized the two. Naminé's pale face broke into a relieved smile as he entered, and she turned to face him, her hands clasped in front of her.

"Didn't expect to see you two here," Riku said casually as he joined the three. "Naminé -" he smiled at her - "DiZ." He looked up at the other man, a tall, imposing figure in red robes, with the trademark red bandages wrapped around his head, concealing his features. As always, Riku felt a little on guard around the man. DiZ always had been very good at hiding his motives, and Riku didn't feel he knew enough to really trust him yet.

"Ah, Riku. It is good to see you again. You are well, I trust?" DiZ nodded slightly in greeting.

"Well enough." Riku shrugged, moving over to stand between Naminé and Mickey. He raised his hand in greeting to the girl, and she smiled back brightly.

"Hello again, Riku! I'm glad to see you're all right." She furrowed her brow a little. "When I heard what you and the king had been through, I was a little worried…but you seem to be all right, as he said."

"Yeah, I'm good as new, almost! No need to worry about me." He glanced warily at DiZ as he spoke.

The tall man laughed heartily. "No, indeed, I can see there is not." His deep, smooth voice gave away little; it was hard to tell if his mirth were real or feigned. "Well, as I was saying to King Mickey, I have come to beg your assistance. I require a temporary refuge for Naminé. It is no longer safe for her to remain in Castle Oblivion."

"Oh yeah?" Riku turned to look at the girl. "What happened?"

She flushed just a little. "Oh, nothing! Everything's fine. It's just…DiZ says the Organization's plans are moving forward, and I have no idea what they are, but he said it wasn't safe for me to stay. So here I am. If you want to know why here, well…your guess is as good as mine."

DiZ placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Naminé has a special part to play yet, and I could think of no safer place for her right now than this castle. It will not be long before you will have to depart, but might I prevail upon you to offer her your hospitality and protection? It may even be that she will need to accompany you when you leave, but we shall see how events unfold."

"Well, I've already said I don't mind. She's more than welcome to stay for a while." Mickey smiled brightly at Naminé. "But I still don't quite understand why, or what's going on. I was actually hoping, DiZ, that you might be able to shed a little light on the subject for us. I'll be real honest with ya - we're having a bit of trouble figuring out where to go from here."

"Ah, but I trust that you will decide in good time. I have faith in you and Riku, your majesty. I fear I cannot tell you what to do, but I assure you, it will become clear soon enough."

"Huh." Riku cocked his head to one side, frowning. "Well, I've got no problem with it if the king hasn't, but I'm not so sure I share your blind faith, DiZ. We've been here for weeks without finding a lead."

"Now Riku, that's not entirely true! We've gathered lots of information about the light and the darkness, and even a few old stories about the Keyblades. I wouldn't call that nothing."

Riku shook his head. "No, Mickey, but it's not enough, either. It doesn't give us enough to go on! I mean, Sora needs our help, but we don't know what we can do yet, or what's going on out there." He blinked suddenly, then turned to Naminé. "Hey, how is Sora? Did he wake up okay? Where is he now?" He frowned, a little concern showing through.

Naminé smiled. Though she could not see his eyes, she could detect the worry in his voice. "Yes, he's fine," she said reassuringly. "Sora and his friends woke up a little while ago and left the castle to continue their journey. I'm sure they're just fine." She looked a little wistful. "It's been awfully quiet since they left. Not that it wasn't while they were sleeping, it's just…well, you know. To be honest, I'm rather glad to have left the place. Castle Oblivion is just so…empty, you know?" She smiled ruefully.

"Oh, I know." Riku nodded. "I remember all too well. Well, glad to have you here anyway, Naminé…and I'm glad to hear Sora's all right. If he's awake though, that means we have to get busy and do our part, too."

"One thing I can tell you - Sora will indeed require your aid. It will not be long before the two of you fight together once more, but before that time comes, you have much work to do. I cannot show you the path, but I can tell you that you will discover truths that he must know. Some of these truths may indeed be found in books…but some you will have to discover on your own."

Riku frowned, giving DiZ an annoyed look. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

DiZ quirked a smile, the bandages twitching. "It means that some of the answers you will have to find within yourself - answers that you will need, and answers that Sora and his friends also must know."

"Oh, that's real helpful," Riku muttered, but Mickey reached up to pat his arm reassuringly.

"Aw, don't worry about it, pal. I'm sure we'll find the clue we need soon! And when we do, we can be on our way." Mickey turned to Naminé. "I can't say for sure what our journey will be like until we know where we're going, but it might be kinda dangerous. You think you'll be okay? I mean, we'll protect ya, of course, but this might not be an easy trip."

"Oh, I'll be fine!" Naminé shook her head vigorously. "When DiZ brought me here, we traveled through one of the pathways that are opening up. There's some darkness inside it still, but the paths are getting wider. It's not as dangerous as when you passed through." She cast a worried glance at Riku. "The king told us what happened. I'm just glad you made it through all right - but at least it won't be like that this time. The darkness is still there, but it's dissipated quite a bit."

"Well, that's a relief," Riku said sardonically. "I'm not going to bet on this trip being a breeze though. Still…everything depends on where we're going." He turned back to look at DiZ and Mickey.

The mouse-king turned to DiZ. "It'll take us at least a few more days to come to a decision, I'm sure. Will you be staying with us?"

DiZ shook his head. "I'm afraid not. My business calls me elsewhere. I must leave immediately."

"You could at least stay for dinner…"

DiZ smiled. "Thank you, my friend, but I really must go. Again, I offer you my thanks for your assistance. I will see you all again very soon." And with no more warning than that, a smoky black portal shot with ripples of dark blue appeared, and DiZ stepped backward through it, vanishing into the darkness. The portal immediately closed up again, leaving no trace.

The other three stared, wide-eyed, and no one spoke for a little while. Finally Mickey cleared his throat. "Well…he sure comes and goes quick, doesn't he?"

"That's an understatement." Riku shook his head. "There's something about that guy that really bugs me."

"Oh, no!" Naminé shook her head. "He's really rather nice, I think. He still unnerves me, and I don't really know what it is he is seeking…but I don't think he bears us any ill will. I think he really does want to help us, and he was very kind to me." She frowned. "It almost feels as if I know him from somewhere, and I know he means no harm. But that's rather strange."

"Not at all." Mickey shrugged. "I feel the same way, and I don't know why either! But there's no need to worry about this right now. Let's get you settled in the palace, all right Naminé?" He turned to Riku. "Hey pal, I'm sure Minnie will fall all over herself getting her settled soon enough, but last I saw her she was just going out for a walk and might not be back for a bit. Would you show Naminé to a room? I'm pretty sure the one down the hall from you was cleaned and freshened recently, and I'm sure she'd like to sit down for a bit. You must have had quite a journey, Naminé!"

She smiled softly. "It really wasn't so bad. But I would like to rest for a bit, yes."

Riku shrugged. "Right, no problem. I was on my way back to my rooms anyway…I just came in from practicing and I've been sweating like a pig." He stopped when he saw the look on Naminé's face. "Uh…not very genteel thing to say. Sorry. I'm not good at mincing words."

Naminé shook silently for a moment, then erupted into silvery laughter. Riku grinned, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly as he watched her. She caught her breath, still giggling, and shook her head. "You know…you're very different in some ways, but in others, you and Sora are exactly alike!"

"Oh?" Riku blinked, taken slightly aback. "What do you mean?"

She grinned. "You both seem to make me laugh so easily. I haven't laughed this much in a very long time."

Riku grinned back at her. "Oh. Well, no harm done then, I guess! Should we get going?"

Naminé nodded, and with a quick exchange, they took their leave of the king, who headed off to inform the kitchens that there would be an extra guest for dinner and for afternoon tea. Before long, Riku and Naminé were walking side by side out the audience chamber door and down the hall. Riku had to concentrate to keep his strides short enough that Naminé could keep up…he seemed to be getting awfully tall lately.

"So…any other news?"

"About Sora? No." Naminé shook her head. "I'm sorry…I really don't know where he went after he left us. I sent him to Gateway, though…I'm sure he was able to get passage from there to wherever he was going."

"Wherever he was going? You mean you don't know?"

Naminé shook her head. "No. We…didn't have the chance to talk much about plans. To tell the truth, I think he was rather confused. But he hid it well."

Riku looked ahead, his voice a little distant. "Yeah, he would be kinda confused, wouldn't he? After all, he had his memories rearranged…" He looked back and saw the expression on Naminé's face. "Oh, uh…sorry."

"Oh, no, it's all right." She smiled. "It's true, after all. But he'll bounce back quickly, I know he will."

"He…didn't remember you, did he?"

"No. But he was very friendly all the same!"

Riku laughed. "Yeah, that's Sora, all right." He looked at Naminé. "You okay though? Seems like you got to be pretty good friends with him before…well, you know."

"Yes, I suppose you could say that…but it's all right, really!" She smiled again, brightly. "He said we could be friends anyway…even though he doesn't remember me and all he really knows is what I told him about what I did to him."

"Ha! Like I said, that's Sora through and through. And he means it, too. Go figure, huh? He's always been weird that way." Riku grinned. "A total sap no matter how you look at it."

"I wouldn't say that. I think it's very sweet that he can forgive so easily."

Riku sighed. "Yeah, well…it's not something we can all do, that's for sure."

"Oh!" Naminé looked distressed. "I didn't mean…"

"I know you didn't. It's just…Sora really does forgive easily, and I guess deep down I know he'll forgive me, too. But…I can't do the same. I've never been good at that like he has." His voice dropped, and he spoke quietly, "I still don't know if I'll ever be able to forgive myself."

"You will."

Riku looked up at her, a bit surprised by her quick and confident answer.

Naminé smiled at him again. "You're a lot more like Sora than you think. You are best friends, after all."

"Best friends…" Riku paused thoughtfully as he started up the stairs to the northern wing, Naminé following. "Hmm. I guess you're right."

They headed off to their quarters to freshen up before afternoon tea - and also to think. Naminé felt out of place still, but she also knew that she was among friends here…and Riku knew that pretty soon there would be a lot for them all to do, and another journey to begin. Who knew where that journey might lead, this time?

_Oh well. Guess I just gotta have faith…kinda like Sora would._ Riku grinned. _That kid always was nuts. But yeah…faith. Blind faith._

_We'll just see where it leads us._

* * *

_There ya go. Nice and long, too. I'll do my best to keep writing...rest assured this fic will not be abandoned! I've left too many other fics unfinished and I vow to finish this one. I know where it's going, at least! Not sure who the next chapter will involve...I may switch back and forth for a bit. But expect plenty more Riku! (hugs him) Oh, and during my downtime I wrote two new short fics, based on KH2 but lacking in any major spoilers. Be sure to check them out if you feel so inclined; they were fun to write._


	14. Midnight Mysteries

**_The Road to Dawn_**  
_By Ariana Aislinn_  
_Chapter 14: Midnight Mysteries_

_More Riku goodness. Mostly happy with this chapter but not entirely...I'm hoping enough happens in it to keep everyone's interest. Hey, at least I introduced a new character! Look familiar to anyone? ...Er, that is, after the annoyingly vague and tantalizingly mysterious interlude! (rubs hands together with a mischievous grin)_

_Standard disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts and its characters are the property of Square-Enix and Disney, not me._

* * *

DiZ leaned back in the battered, old chair with a sigh. He looked around the mess and debris of the mansion's large dining room, a small smile quirking his lips. So much forgotten in this place…so much lost. He looked up as the door opened to admit another figure, this one swathed in a familiar black coat. DiZ nodded in greeting. "I'm surprised you made it."

"I really shouldn't be here at all."

"This mansion is a mere reflection, set up only for this meeting. You need have no fear of running into anyone you should not."

The other relaxed visibly. The release of tension was almost palpable, despite the fact that his face was entirely hidden and his body wrapped in heavy black leather. "So, is it done?"

DiZ nodded. "It is. And fear not, I shall not let slip where I have taken her. Simply know that Naminé is in good hands for the time being." He smiled wryly. "I've managed to locate another friend."

"You know I don't want to know who she is with. But if it's who I suspect…" He sighed, reaching into his hood and massaging his forehead with gloved fingers. "It'd be dangerous if you took her to see Riku, you know. Having the two of them in one place is a serious liability."

"You think Darkside would attempt to tamper with Riku's memories?"

The man shrugged. "You never know."

DiZ gave him a reassuring look, his golden eyes softening behind the red bandaging. "I wouldn't worry so, my friend. You said it yourself - Darkside is unlikely to do anything at this point to risk the possibility of later retrieving Ansem's shadow from within Riku's mind. Until he is ready, he will not attempt anything untoward."

"Yeah, but you forget - what I know, he knows," the other pointed out.

"I forget nothing. I also have more faith in you than you seem to have in yourself."

"Hmph. What about the other - the Keyblade master?"

"I have seen to it. The proper hints have been dropped, and our young friend should be on his way shortly."

"Good. And…while it's not quite as big a deal, I'd really rather you kept it quiet where he's going."

DiZ inclined his head. "Of course. Now, if you'll excuse me…" He stood. "I have another matter to see to, one we discussed earlier. As I'm sure you understand, I cannot elaborate on details."

"And I wouldn't want you to. But I trust you - got no choice, have I?" He chuckled bitterly.

"Unfortunately, no…but have heart, my friend. We shall see this through." With a nod, DiZ gestured to the door. "That will take you back. As I said, this is merely an illusion; you needn't worry about ending up in the town. Will you contact me when next you find a chance to slip away long enough to meet?"

"As usual, yeah. Thanks. And…DiZ?"

He turned to face the other, one of the bandages twitching slightly as an eyebrow rose.

"I'll do my best to set things right."

DiZ inclined his head slightly in agreement. "I know you will."

And with that, the two went their separate ways, leaving the damaged room as empty as if they had never come at all.

* * *

It had been a long, eventful day, and when night fell, Riku had been only too glad to fall into bed. Sleep had overtaken him almost immediately, his muscles sore from training and his brain tired and spinning from going through books in the library. Something had awakened him, however, and with a sigh Riku lay still in the large, curtained bed, listening to the silence of the castle and wondering what had disturbed his sleep.

Everything was peaceful, and a gentle breeze blew in through the window, which was open just a crack. A candle sat on the bedside table, cold and unlit - Riku had no need for such a thing now. He lay in the darkness, the glows and shadows on the wall from the faint light of the crescent moon as bright and crisp to his eyes as sunlight and shade at full noon. Perhaps it was the light that had awoken him; usually he remembered to close the drapes at night.

Just as he was deciding that must have been the cause, Riku heard a slight bump and a scratching sound in the corridor. He was halfway out of bed with Soul Eater in his hand before he even realized what he was doing. Freezing again, he forced himself to stop and listen. The sword vanished. In all likelihood it was just Dale looking for a midnight snack, and there was no good reason to give the chipmunk a heart attack by appearing with weapon in hand. Still, best to be sure.

Riku had taken to sleeping in a pair of loose pants, but that didn't seem enough for investigating in the slight chill of the wee hours. Moving with almost unnatural silence, he slipped on a shirt and tied his blindfold around his temples, reducing the room's light to a softer, silvery glow. He did not bother with shoes, but rather crept softly into the hall, looking around cautiously. He left the door to his bedroom ajar behind him, so as to avoid making any noise.

Riku could make out a flicker of light down the hall - a candle. Peering more closely, he realized that it was coming from the direction of Naminé's door. There was a soft scraping sound, and a faintly whispered curse. The hair on the back of his neck rose and bristled, and Riku moved forward, one silent step at a time.

A young man crouched near Naminé's bedroom door. At first Riku thought he was peering in through the keyhole, or possibly trying to enter…but then he realized that the intruder, in fact, was a couple feet away from the door. He appeared to be fiddling with some strange construction made of light, a small, faint apparition floating in the air before him. The softest of breezes blew up out of nowhere and gently lifted a few strands of hair from Riku's forehead. He frowned, smelling the scent of sun-warmed stone and hearing the tinkling of windchimes. Children laughed in the distance, their feet pattering on cobblestones. There was a faint aroma of freshly baked bread, as well. Then, as soon as it had come, the sensation was gone. Riku shook himself, staring at the blond boy, who still crouched before Naminé's door.

Though he was some distance away, Riku could see, at least, that he had pale blond hair that stood up in spiky cowlicks, and he wore a short-sleeved jacket and baggy cargo pants of white trimmed with black and a bit of red. The boy's face was not visible, but his hands were - practiced fingers worked deftly with thin pieces of metal, twisting and fiddling with them inside what appeared to be…a keyhole? Riku squinted, looking more closely. A keyhole indeed, but one not attached to any door. Larger than an ordinary keyhole, yet still smaller than the boy's hand, it floated in midair before Naminé's bedroom door, glowing with the very faintest light.

_Enough observation._ Smoothly, Riku stepped out from his concealment in the shadows of the corridor and shifted his weight to one foot, looking sure and at ease. Soul Eater did not appear in his hands, but his posture was confident, almost cocky, as he rested his hands easily on his hips and cleared his throat softly. "Hey. Lost something? Your way, perhaps?"

The young man whirled, his eyes going wide, and the keyhole vanished instantly, the pieces of metal disappearing into his pockets. He squinted at Riku, frowning warily. "Who are you?"

"I might as well ask you the same thing. But I'll indulge you. I'm a friend of Naminé's…you know, the girl whose door you seem to be prowling around? And as I don't recognize you at all, I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to be in this part of the castle, if you actually belong in the castle in the first place. Which I doubt." He grinned, showing his teeth. "Need an escort out of here?"

"Got it covered, thanks." The kid had seemed to recover some of his composure. For that matter, something almost like recognition sparked in his eyes. Though he'd been startled at first, he now relaxed and even seemed to smile knowingly. Riku almost had to admire the way he mirrored Riku's own cocky confidence - even his posture was almost the same, as he leaned his weight on one foot and rested a hand on his hip. His other hand brushed back spiky bangs.

Riku stopped, blinking. The hair, clothes, and coloring were all wrong, but…there was something eerily familiar about this young man. He paused. "Huh. You know…you look a lot like him," he muttered, not realizing he'd said it aloud until the words were out of his mouth.

"Who, Sora? Yeah, I guess I would, wouldn't I? Sorry though, no time to chat." The kid saluted Riku mockingly. "Later, Riku. Try not to miss me." With that, a portal of purply blackness opened behind him, and the young man in white backed into it, giving Riku a cocky grin before vanishing.

Riku just stood and stared for a few long moments, then finally shook his head. "What the hell was _that_ all about?" he muttered to himself, then sighed. "Well, better at least check as long as I'm out here…" Taking a few steps forward, he rapped his knuckles softly on Naminé's door.

There was silence for a moment, and then a sleepy, slightly worried voice called out, "Who is it?"

"Riku. Just checking on you. I…heard something in the hall."

"Just a moment."

There was a creak of hinges and a rustle of cloth, and after a few moments the door opened to reveal the girl. Naminé rubbed her eyes sleepily with her right hand and tightened the sash of a sky blue dressing gown with the other - apparently provided by the castle staff, as she had brought no extra clothes with her. Riku had to hide a smile with his hand, seeing that her blond hair was sticking up in all directions.

"Is anything wrong?" Naminé yawned drowsily.

"Doesn't look like it. Looks like you were sleeping peacefully." Riku paused. For some strange reason, he found himself hesitant to mention the strange visitor. "You didn't hear anything?"

"I…no." She blinked, obviously still bleary-eyed with sleep. "To tell the truth, I was dreaming. Pretty vividly, in fact. It was sunset, and there was a breeze…a bakery with fresh-baked bread, and some children off in the distance. It seemed so…familiar, somehow." She stopped, catching Riku's sharp look. "What is it?"

"Uh…nothing." He shook his head, as if to clear it. "Just sounds a little like something I…dreamed too." He was at a loss to explain further. Instead, he forced a grin onto his face. "Well, sorry I disturbed you for nothing. Go back to bed, okay?"

Naminé smiled sleepily, but sweetly. "Not at all - I don't mind. Good night, Riku."

They exchanged nods, and Naminé headed back into her room, stifling a yawn. Riku stood in the corridor a moment longer, frowning.

He was still tired, but questions demanded his attention more than sleep at the moment. With a sigh, he stuffed his hands into his pockets and strode off down the hallway in the direction of the library.

The library was, unsurprisingly, dark and empty. Riku did not bother to light a candle, however; he could see perfectly well in the darkness. Moonlight poured in through the skylights above, providing more than enough light for him to read by while searching book titles. He wandered over to a section of shelves he had not yet explored, though he thought Mickey may have already checked it. Still, it couldn't hurt to try again. Riku's mind wandered as he fingered the spines of books, reading with only half his attention.

He wondered if he ought to tell anyone about the strange boy he'd seen in the hallway. He seemed very suspicious, of course, and yet…Riku wasn't really certain that he'd intended any malice. Regardless of whatever it was he'd been doing, he certainly could have tried to harm Naminé if he'd wanted to…and yet, to all appearances, he hadn't. Still, Riku had no idea what the boy _had_ been doing. _What was that keyhole, and what was he doing with it? A keyhole…it can't just be a coincidence._ Maybe he'd better at least talk to Mickey about it. The mouse king might have some idea what it meant, and if there was any threat to Naminé.

Riku stopped, his fingers hovering over the spine of a book bound in dark green leather. He frowned, studying the title. _Seekers of Wisdom? That sounds…familiar._ He couldn't quite place it, however. Shrugging, he pulled the book off the shelf and carried it over to the table, setting it down and turning to the first page. He did not bother to take a seat, instead resting his palms against the desktop while leaning over to read.

"'The Seekers of Wisdom are an ancient order," he muttered softly, reading aloud from the introduction, "steeped in tradition and the knowledge of centuries, some say even millennia. It is even said that they gained the ability to cross worlds. Herein lies what little we know of this sect, which has long since passed from our world, along with the scraps that remain of the ancient texts they left behind.' Huh. Interesting."

"Hey, pal. What's that you got there?"

Riku looked up as the king padded in, wrapped in a fuzzy red dressing gown with fluffy gold slippers on his feet. He set his candle on the desk next to Riku, who gestured to the book. "Found a book that looks interesting. What're you doing up, Mickey?"

The king surprised Riku by looking embarrassed. "I uh…got hungry. I came to grab a midnight snack," he said sheepishly, brandishing a half-eaten gingersnap.

Riku chuckled. "Fair enough. Well, come take a look. I seem to remember you going through this shelf, but I saw the title and it looked kind of familiar to me. Does it mean anything to you?" He stepped aside for the mouse to move close enough to peer at the page.

"Seekers of Wisdom, huh? I'll admit, it sure does sound familiar…I think I heard about them a long time ago. They used to live in this world, hundreds of years ago."

"Yeah?" Riku frowned thoughtfully, then suddenly snapped his fingers. "Wait - I think I remember where I've heard the name. I'm pretty sure I remember learning about them in school at some point. We didn't get a lot of detail back then - that era of history was reserved for this year." He paused. "Huh. You know, I hadn't even really thought of the fact that I've missed several months of school." He chuckled. "Small blessings, huh? Though the information might have come in handy right now."

"So what do you know about the Seekers of Wisdom, pal?"

Riku furrowed his brow, racking his brains. "Not a lot. Supposedly they were sages who lived a long time ago, when the Destiny Islands were first colonized. They vanished a ways back. Some say they could do magic, but no one's really sure. It's kind of a legend back home."

Mickey tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm. Magic isn't too common on your islands, is it?"

Riku shook his head. "Not at all. No one uses it anymore, and all we've got left to show there ever was magic are strange plants like the paopu fruit, and stuff like that. I'm not sure I ever really believed magic existed, before that night in the storm." He stopped, looking thoughtful, and turned his head upwards to gaze at the star-strewn sky through the windows above. "Although…maybe I always knew. I was always so sure that other worlds existed, that we were a part of a much bigger universe. I guess that part of me must have believed in magic, too."

Mickey grinned, nodding. "I think you may be right. After all, Sora learned to use magic, so who's to say others from your islands couldn't have also used it in the past?"

"True. But still…how does this help us? What does it have to do with any of the questions we're trying to answer?"

Mickey shook his head. "I don't know, pal. But I sure think this book is worth taking a closer look at!" He covered a yawn. "But not tonight. I'm awful sleepy…can we talk about this more in the morning?"

Riku smiled, nodding. "Sure. I ought to get back to bed too." He closed the book, but left it out on the desk. "See you in the morning, Mickey!"

The two walked to the library door and then went their separate ways down the hall, toward their respective rooms. It was only when Riku was halfway up the stairs at the end of the hall, climbing to the north wing, that he realized he'd forgotten to mention Naminé's strange visitor to the king.

_Oh well. I suppose it can wait till morning…_ Oddly enough, Riku had an inexplicable feeling that the blond boy would not return tonight. _Wonder how I know that? Guess it doesn't matter, at least not tonight._ He suddenly yawned hugely, realizing just how very tired he was. Shrugging off the rest of his unanswered questions, he finished climbing the stairs and headed down the hall to his room, after glancing quickly at Naminé's door. It was shut securely, as he'd left it, and looked undisturbed to all appearances.

In his own bedroom, Riku stripped off his shirt and untied the blindfold, then sank into bed, exhausted once more, and dragged the covers over himself. Fatigue came on without warning these days…which he supposed was better than the almost constant weariness that had plagued him for the first weeks of his convalescence.

It was not long before Riku fell into a deep sleep once more. Still, his mind was not yet ready to rest, and shortly after his head touched the pillow, the dreams began…

…Dreams of keyholes and memories.

* * *

_Hope you liked this chapter! As always, comments are very much appreciated, and constructive criticism always considered._


	15. Shorebound Dreams

**_The Road to Dawn_**  
_By Ariana Aislinn_  
_Chapter 15: Shorebound Dreams_

_So...I tried something new with this chapter. I hope it works okay. Please let me know what you think of it! Also, I seem to be continuing my pattern of two chapters per character. We'll see if I keep that up. :P Oh yeah, and I've also started sticking these little interludes in...got to keep your appetite whetted with little hints! (grins) Enjoy!_

_Standard disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts and its characters are the property of Square-Enix and Disney, not me._

* * *

_"There can't be two Keyblade masters. Let the Keyblade choose…"_

_"Maleficent was right. You don't have what it takes to save Kairi. It's up to me. Only the Keyblade master can open the secret door…and change the world."_

_"I'm not gonna give up now. I came here to find someone very important to me."_

_"Quit while you can."_

_"No. Not without Kairi."_

_"Impossible! The princesses of heart are all here! It must be her."_

_"Without her heart, she will never be able to release her power."_

_"Is that -"_

_"Yes. A Keyblade. But unlike yours, this Keyblade holds the power to unlock people's hearts."_

_"Kairi! Kairi! Open your eyes!"_

_"It's no use. That girl has lost her heart. She cannot wake up."_

_"What? You…you're not Riku."_

_"The Keyhole cannot be completed so long as the last princess of heart still sleeps."_

_"The princess…? Kairi's a princess?"_

_"Yes, and without her power, the Keyhole will remain incomplete. It is time she awakened."_

_"Whoever you are, let Riku go! Give him back his heart!"_

_"But first, you must give the princess back her heart."_

Kairi fidgeted and rolled over on her side. She curled up with her head tucked into her chest, her breath softly stirring the strands of hair that fell across her cheek. Remembered pain caused her to whimper softly in her sleep.

_The black Keyblade came up, pointing straight at Sora, and a strange power struck out at him. Deep within him, Kairi's heart cried out with pain. Something was pulling her, digging sharp claws into her being, and trying to take her from the safety of Sora's heart. She could feel Sora gasp, echoing her agony. "What's -"_

_The one who was Riku yet not Riku stepped forward, Keyblade lowered, and the pain subsided momentarily to a dull throb. "Don't you see yet? The princess's heart is responding. Kairi's heart rests within you!"_

_"Kairi…Kairi's inside me?" Sora panted, confusion and wonder mixed with the pain in his voice._

_I've been here, Sora. I've been here all along. All this time you thought you were searching for me, you've actually been protecting me…_

_"I know all that there is to know."_

_"Tell me. Who are you?"_

_"It is I, Ansem, the seeker of darkness."_

_Recognition registered somewhere deep within Kairi's heart. She was beyond thinking, but somewhere deep inside, a memory stirred. Along with it came fear, and with that came anger._

_"So, I shall release you now, Princess. Complete the Keyhole with your power. Lead me into everlasting darkness!"_

_Me? Lead you? Never. The thought drifted defiantly through the inner silence. Her awareness of the outside world was growing by the second, and above all, she felt the pain in Sora's heart and body. His breath came in ragged gasps. She watched, not through his eyes, but somehow she saw the maniacal look in Riku's eyes as the man called Ansem brought his arm up, readying him to strike with the Keyblade._

_He's not going to get my heart. And he's certainly not going to get Sora, either!_

_"Sora!"_

_Her voice echoed through the blackness, ringing out from her heart and rushing into Sora's. His eyes snapped open, and he looked up, bringing the Keyblade up with a combination of instinct and a deep trust in that voice. There was a clash and a ring of metal as Sora's Keyblade deflected the other, false Keyblade. Sora climbed to his feet, determination spread across his features. "Forget it! There's no way you're taking Kairi's heart!"_

Flames crackled softly nearby. Voices shouted in the distance, laughing and joking. Not far off, waves lapped at the shore with a gentle murmur. Kairi dreamed on, lost in the memory.

_"It won't work! The Keyhole's not finished yet!"_

_"I think you're right. If we can free her heart… But…but how?"_

_No, no, don't free me…don't do it, Sora. An inexplicable fear gripped her, and she huddled more deeply into the sheltering warmth of his heart. All was quiet here, soft and safe. But if she were to leave…somehow she knew that the act of removing her heart from his, if not done properly, could rip into him, with disastrous results. No, Sora. You'll…I can't let you!_

_But her voice did not reach him this time. Her awareness faltered. Her heart had been too long separated from her body, and it was difficult to hold on to consciousness - a consciousness that had faded in and out erratically over the last few weeks._

_"A Keyblade that unlocks people's hearts…I wonder."_

_A Keyblade born of darkness, of the forcible captivity of pure hearts - it caused a wave of revulsion and fear to sweep through her. No, not that… That was the worst of all. She had no idea what to expect, only that something terrible was about to happen to Sora. No, Sora!_

_"Sora? …Sora, hold on!"_

_"No, wait!"_

_She felt his goofy grin, the one she knew so well. It was meant to be reassuring - he knew what he was doing, and he cared nothing for the risks._

_Then the black Keyblade pierced his heart, and Kairi's was flooded with bright, white light. There was light everywhere. The black Keyblade moved back out of Sora's body, then fell apart in a wash of light, dissolving back into the six hearts that had created it. Sora's hair was lifted by a breeze from nowhere, and he let his arms drop to his sides, tilting his head in…acceptance? He took a deep breath, seeming strangely at peace, as Kairi's heart drifted from his chest, floating upward as a shimmering sphere of light. It settled gently into Kairi's own chest, her eyes opening as it did so._

_She was disoriented and confused, but she struggled to sit up, trying to figure out what was going on. As she lifted her head, she saw Sora, engulfed in a shimmering golden light, falling backward with dreamlike slowness._

_"Sora!" She staggered to her feet and stumbled forward, reaching out to catch him as he fell - but just as her arms closed about him, he vanished into golden sparkles that drifted upwards like fireflies. Kairi stood there with her arms outstretched, staring upward in disbelief as the sparkles faded into darkness._

_The dream shifted. That darkness engulfed her vision, then spread outward and rippled, growing upward and taking on a grotesque shape. Somehow she recognized it, though she was not sure if she had ever actually seen it before. A tall, shadowy shape, all muscle and sinew, it had long, thin feet that tapered into crooked points, huge, muscled arms, a strange heart-shaped void where its chest should be, writhing serpentine shapes instead of hair, and only glowing, golden eyes where its face should be._

_The Darkside Heartless, that which had destroyed the Destiny Islands._

_Her vision narrowed, focusing on those golden eyes. They rushed closer until she was entirely swallowed within them. Gold washed over her, then subsided, slowly changing and rippling with reds and oranges. The light diminished and became a sunset. A soft breeze blew past, rustling the leaves of a nearby tree. Off in the distance, a bell rang - a clock tower? Children laughed in the distance, and the smell of fresh-baked bread assailed her. There was a good-natured shout nearby, and some boys ran past. One of them was a figure dressed in white, with spiky blond hair. Suddenly his face came into full view._

_Sora…?_

She awoke then, her cheeks wet with tears. She groaned softly as she stirred. Her back and neck were sore. Lifting her head, she felt sand clinging to her face. Kairi brushed her hair out of her eyes and scrubbed her wet, sandy face with the back of her hand, looking around and blinking blearily.

After the intensity of the dream, it took a moment for everything to come back to her. She sat up and sighed, drawing one knee up and leaning her forearm against it. Off in the distance, she could see the shadowy forms of her friends, playing an energetic game of something-or-other. There seemed to be a ball involved, but she doubted they had any better idea than she did what the rules were.

One of the figures caught sight of Kairi sitting up, then stopped and waved. Kairi blinked sleepily as Selphie came running up to her, smiling.

"Hey Kairi! Looks like you finally woke up." She grinned. "When you dozed off, Wakka wanted to bury you in the sand, but Tidus convinced him to go play some blitzball instead. We decided to leave you alone for a while, you looked so tired!" She jerked a thumb over her shoulder at the boys and their other companions. "Rikku and Yuna wanted to play though, and they're hopeless about figuring out the rules…and once Paine joined in, that was it. It's kind of turned into a free-for-all now."

"Ugh. Sleeping on sand is not comfortable." Kairi dusted herself off. "I'm really sorry, Selphie…I can't imagine why I dozed off like that."

"Pulling some all-nighters lately with your brooding?" Selphie smiled.

"Hey! I already told you, I don't brood!" Chuckling a bit, Kairi kicked sand at Selphie, who giggled and held her arms up in defense. "So what did I miss? Just the blitzball?"

"Yeah, that's all, really. You've only been asleep for maybe a half hour."

"No great loss then." Kairi smiled. "You know I'm not much good at blitzball."

"Kairi!"

A yellow and orange shape rocketed into her, practically knocking her flat on the sand again. Kairi flailed slightly as she was rather violently hugged.

"You're awake! Just in time for smores!"

"Gah, Rikku! Yes, I'm awake," she grumbled, then stopped. "Smores?"

The girl giggled, twisting one of her many narrow blond braids around her index finger. "Yep! Selphie bought the stuff at the market this afternoon. I think the fire's died down enough to be perfect about now…"

"Sounds great!" Kairi stood, smoothing out the wrinkles in her skirt. "I'll go find us some sticks for roasting the marshmallows, okay?"

"Wonderful!" Rikku giggled. "I'll stay here and open the packages. And watch Tidus attempt to flirt with Yuna." She winked at Kairi and Selphie, who couldn't help but grin back.

As Selphie and Rikku began to argue about how many pieces of chocolate each person would be allowed, Kairi headed off on her own down the shore. She had said she would search for suitable sticks, and at first she did, but soon she found herself looking not at the ground, but rather staring up at the starry sky. The stars were scattered across it like…well, like fireflies, she thought. Fireflies drifting into blackness, fluttering beyond her reach.

Kairi shook her head violently, muttering to herself. "And I told Selphie I didn't brood! Darn it, I'm sick of this. This isn't like me." She forced herself to keep an eye on the ground again, looking for marshmallow-roasting paraphernalia.

_There's no point in worrying about it now. It's time to stop moping and start acting. Granny said she'd test me tomorrow…and there's nothing more I can do tonight, so I might as well just enjoy myself. Tomorrow the work begins._ Kairi frowned. She really had to wonder, though…that dream had seemed awfully…intense. Could it be possible that there was some deeper meaning she was supposed to find in it? Yet they were just memories. Important ones, to be sure - memories she didn't think she would ever forget, but why now? Why did she dream with a clarity even stronger than her awareness had been back then? It was not as if she had been entirely conscious throughout that whole ordeal, after all.

"Kairiiiii! Where are you? Better get back here quick so we can start, or I think Paine and Wakka are going to get into a brawl over the chocolate!"

Kairi grinned, shaking her head in exasperation. She hurried to gather the needed sticks before Selphie ended up having to referee again. One thing was for sure - she'd missed this during her time away from the islands. There was just one glaring problem. Before, Sora and Riku would always have been at the forefront of the action, treating the blitzball games as a personal competition between the two of them regardless of what team they were on, good-naturedly fighting over the smores and laughing while smooshing melted marshmallows into each other's hair.

For now, though, Kairi would have to settle for the rest of her friends, and she could not deny that there was never a lack of excitement with all of them around. Tomorrow she would begin testing for magic.

_And if I learn how to use magic, I'll find a way to use it to go after Sora and Riku. I swear it._

She ran back to the others, grinning as firelight played on her features. Tidus waved while Wakka yelled for her to hurry up. She could already taste the marshmallow and chocolate melting on her tongue.

* * *

"So…Castle Oblivion is a total loss?"

"Let's just say the project is being abandoned for now. We have other, more promising locations on which to focus. Castle Oblivion may become important in time…but for now, we move on."

Two black-cloaked figures stood on a lonely, ghostly beach, surrounded by strangely shaped rocks and arches. Overhead, a bright, full moon glowed, surrounded by heavy mists - though it could just as easily have been a sun, silvery and pale with unnatural distance from that nearly deserted shore, and obscured by the thick haze.

The grizzled man shrugged. "Whatever, man. I'd rather not even get involved after what happened to those traitors there. Too big a mess to get mixed up in!" He grinned, looking rather wickedly sinister with his multiple scars and patched eye. Of course, Xigbar would look sinister with a pink party hat on; his grin only seemed to make him appear more devious, Xaldin mused.

Xaldin rested his hands easily on his hips, his large, square frame at ease. "I'm surprised you don't know this yourself."

Xigbar waved a hand dismissively. "Yeah, well…Darkside isn't exactly easy to talk to these days. I try to stay out of the guy's way, you know? I've got better things to do with my time than get caught in one of his rages!"

"The Superior has much on his mind. It is not for us to question."

"Oh, lighten up, man. You are one overly tense dude, you know that? Stiff as a board, I swear."

Xaldin merely regarded him coolly, his expression unreadable.

Xigbar grinned, shaking his head. "Well, whatever. In any case, I have talked to Darkside recently, braving the dude's ridiculous temper to ask him about our little runaway."

"Naminé?"

"Yeah, the kid pulled a disappearing act suddenly. Darkside's not concerned, though. Not at the moment. Said to leave her be, he'll find her later." Xigbar shrugged. "Guess she's not a threat right now. I'd've thought otherwise, but there ya go. Instead we're supposed to check out the next spot for info on the Seekers."

Xaldin furrowed his brow, his dark, strangely shaped eyebrows shadowing his blue-violet eyes. "The Destiny Islands? Interesting choice."

Xigbar laughed. "Yeah, that's what I said. I thought, what is this dude thinking? I wonder if he plans to go after the girl now rather than later."

"It's certainly a possibility. Best to have her in custody rather than risk her running around loose."

"Yeah, but she's not leavin' the islands anytime soon. Why bother to grab her? We know exactly where she is."

Xaldin shrugged irritably. "Do I look like a mind reader to you, Xigbar? We don't even know yet what the Superior plans to do with Kairi. I suggest you stop getting ahead of yourself and concentrate on following orders. That is the only way we are going to uncover the research we need."

"Yeah, yeah, I got it. Sheesh." Xigbar shrugged. "I'll be back later. Got to go check on that last location one more time…Demyx says he saw something suspicious behind a waterfall."

Xaldin sighed. "It's a waste of your time. That place has been checked from top to bottom. It's the first one the Organization investigated."

"Never know what might've been overlooked, do you?" Xigbar gave him a cocky grin, then stepped backward through a suddenly appearing portal of smoky black and purple.

Xaldin vanished as well, leaving the ghostly shore even lonelier than it had been before.

* * *

_More cryptic hints, though perhaps a little less cryptic than the previous chapter. I seem to be on a roll, so expect another chapter up soon. I've been doing lots of plotting and working out details. I'm trying to keep KH2 references to a minimum, but you'll notice I'm using several KH2 characters...though perhaps not in the same way as they appeared in KH2 (YRP, anyone?)._


	16. Manifestations of Light

**_The Road to Dawn_**  
_By Ariana Aislinn_  
_Chapter 16: Manifestations of Light_

_I forgot to mention in my last chapter - many thanks to Megumi for beta reading chapter 15, and also chapter 16! I much appreciate it. (Even though I do have a tendency to send unfinished chapters to be beta read. Eep.) Less happened in this chapter than I'd planned, but I hope there are enough twists to keep you happy! I have a lot to cover so expect more chapters soon._

_Standard disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts and its characters are the property of Square-Enix and Disney, not me._

* * *

Kairi sighed to herself as she laced up her sneakers the next morning, weaving the long ribbons in a criss-cross pattern up her shins. She straightened her dress, the pink one she'd worn last night, and quickly brushed out her hair.

"Kairi! Come on, dear!"

"It's too early for this," she muttered as she left her bedroom and headed out the front door. The sun was still low in the eastern sky, and although it was a clear, sunny morning, it was early enough that a definite chill still lingered in the air. It was actually rather refreshing. Kairi shook her head in an attempt to clear it - she'd definitely gone to bed too late after last night's bonfire on the beach. She had been up half the night with her friends, laughing and telling ghost stories and playing games. Selphie had seemed much reassured that Kairi had acted more like her old self.

Kairi's grandmother was waiting on the old ironwork bench at the bottom of the porch steps, smiling up at her teenage granddaughter. Kairi hopped down the steps, taking them two at a time, and thumped her large sneakers down on the grass next to the old woman. "Okay, I'm up, I'm dressed, I'm here. So, where do we start?"

Granny patted the seat next to her. "Have a seat."

Kairi blinked. "Sit down? But…aren't we going to get started?"

The old lady smiled. "Magic isn't like fighting, remember. It's more in your heart and your mind. To test for it, you need to be calm."

"All right." Kairi took a deep breath and sat next to her grandmother, her hands resting on her knees. "Now what?"

Her grandmother regarded her thoughtfully for a few moments, and Kairi fidgeted under her gaze. "What?"

"I'm just trying to size up your elemental affinity."

Kairi blinked. "My what?"

"Magical power is divided into elements. Think back…do you remember anything about the magic Sora could use?"

The girl frowned, thinking. "Hmm…I think fire. And thunder, and…ice?"

Granny nodded. "Anything else?"

"Um, those are the only ones I remember that sound like elements…at least the elements we talked about in lit class, from the old Seekers of Wisdom legends."

"Those aren't the only ones, however. There are others, somewhat less common. In fact, there may be many elements that weren't commonly used or properly catalogued back in Hollow Bastion. Some of the others that were used include water, wind, time, time - and, of course, darkness and light."

"Darkness and light?"

"…Yes, though perhaps not in such simplistic terms. Few people can directly harness that power to cast, say, a light spell. Darkness often takes the form of matter or void, such as gravity or magnetism."

"Umm…Granny, I hate to say it, but…well, you know I've been doing well in history and lit class, right? But have you seen my science grades lately?"

Kairi's grandmother laughed. "Yes, dear, and I think you're overly worried about them. You'll bring them up just fine."

"Well, maybe. But my point is that I don't really get how darkness could be connected to magnetism, of all things!"

"I admit the connection is a little obscure. In truth, it makes little sense from a scientific standpoint. Magic is different from science, and while they may not be in direct contradiction to each other, science cannot explain magic. All you need to know is that pure darkness and light are rare for most people who use magic."

Kairi nodded. "All right, I think I've got that." She shrugged. "So what would I be able to use?"

"Ah, child, that is what we must find out." She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Your personality is sometimes fiery, but you are also good at smoothing things over and mediating arguments. Fire may be a little too lacking in restraint to match you. You are too warm for ice…not so capricious as wind. Time…I'm not sure, but it doesn't seem quite right." She smiled. "There is something timeless about these islands and the relaxed pace of the life we live here, but I couldn't say whether that would help or hinder the development of time magic."

Kairi nodded and tried to be patient as she listened. She found herself growing very curious, and she pondered what elements might seem to fit her best.

"…You know dear, I think we'd better just try a few things and see. One moment." Her grandmother leaned over, picking up a stone from a small basket of objects at her feet, which Kairi only now noticed. "As I said, I have no true magic of my own, but I am able to…condition everyday objects, to a degree, so that they will respond to any latent potential you may have." She pressed the stone gently into Kairi's hand. "Here. This is a lodestone, a natural magnet. Hold it in your hand until it warms to your touch."

Kairi did so obligingly, curling her fingers around the stone until some of her own body heat transferred over to it. Nothing seemed to happen, however.

"Do you feel anything? Any pull or stirring?"

She shook her head. "No, nothing."

Kairi's grandmother smiled and reached out her hand for the lodestone, which Kairi dropped into her palm. "All right, we'll try another one." She reached down and rummaged through the pile, then handed Kairi a green yisa bird feather. "Hold this one up to the breeze."

The feather's barbs ruffled softly in the wind, but if anything else was supposed to happen, it didn't. Kairi's grandmother soon exchanged it for a piece of bark that had come off the cherry tree at the mayor's house, which had been hit by lightning last spring. When that produced no response, she substituted a piece of burned charcoal from last night's bonfire. Kairi began to wonder just what was supposed to happen, what she was supposed to feel.

The next object, however, was a nautilus shell from the beach. As Kairi held it in her hand, she found herself imagining it when it had lain on the sea floor, the gentle rhythm of the waves washing over it and eventually carrying it to shore, where it had found its way to her grandmother's hands. "…I think I sense something from this. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to feel, but…I started thinking about where the shell came from. Does that mean anything?"

"Hmm." The lady took the shell back, examining it. "It might. It didn't appear to respond to you, but if the image came unbidden…well, you might have some slight affinity with water. Let's keep trying."

Kairi sighed a little but straightened. This was important, and no one ever said that something as rare or difficult as magic would come without patience…although she had to laugh inwardly when she thought of Sora working patiently to learn magic. Patience really wasn't Sora's thing when it came to wanting to learn a new skill.

A small vial of sand produced no result, but they had a little more luck with a small pocket mirror. Sun flashed on it, and Kairi swore that it kept the glow even after it was returned to the shade. The reflected light seemed to dance playfully, almost as if it were winking at her. Her grandmother chuckled. "Reflection seems to like you."

"Reflection? Is that an element?"

"Not exactly. It's a manifestation of an element - light, to be precise." The woman smiled. "Not all that surprising, now that I think of it. But we're not done yet."

A small, dense weight had no effect at all, which didn't surprise Granny in the least. Nor was there much response from an ice cube she brought in from the icebox - Kairi just made a face when cold water trickled down from it to drip on her knees. Mayor Rufus's pocket watch, which Granny had borrowed the evening before, did nothing but tick softly in Kairi's hand. Finally, however, her grandmother pressed a soft, emerald leaf into Kairi's hand. A delightful sensation, alternating between refreshing coolness and soothing warmth, flowed into Kairi's skin and up her arm. She shivered, giggling softly. "What is that?"

"Ahh." Her grandmother nodded sagely. "I might have guessed. You seem to have an affinity with plant life."

Kairi gave her a sidelong look. "What's that supposed to mean? A plant element?"

"Not exactly. It's another manifestation. Leaves are a type of life, and they may have curative properties. You might call it the element of healing, though more accurately, it is another manifestation of light, much like reflection."

"Oh!" Kairi smiled. "You mean like cure spells!"

"That's exactly what I mean. Did Sora learn to use those?"

"He'd have to." Kairi shrugged and sighed. "I don't remember too much of my time with him, but when I was aware of what was going on, I could see…he was constantly fighting, and often getting hurt. He wouldn't have survived long enough to rescue me if he hadn't been able to heal himself." She straightened, her eyes suddenly flashing with determination. "Gran, what now? How do I learn to use this magic?"

Her grandmother laughed, gathering up the items she'd brought outside with her and placing them back in the basket. "It won't happen nearly as fast as you'd like, I can tell you that now, dear! You see, often a more experienced magic user can give you a spell or two to start with. You would still have to learn to use the spell and eventually master it on your own, but that would give you a starting point. We, unfortunately, don't have that luxury." The old woman shook her head. "I can't truly use magic, and I have no spells to give you. You'll have to find them within yourself - which is certainly possible, but it will take time."

Kairi sighed in exasperation. "So how do I start?"

"Patience, dear." Granny smiled. "As I said, it will come in time. Remember the elements and the spells for which you have an affinity, and listen for the power in your heart. Remember what it felt like as you watched Sora, and try to feel that within yourself."

"Okay," Kairi said doubtfully, standing and stretching. "But…how long is that going to take?"

Her grandmother frowned. "Kairi, it won't happen immediately, and you can't force it. This is all we can do today, and trying to push it to come faster will only frustrate you." She patted the girl's hand, standing up as well, the basket in her own hand. "I have baking and mending to do, and you have some homework, if I remember rightly. Why don't you take a break, then come back and get busy on your studies? We'll have lunch in a couple of hours."

Kairi nodded, a faint smile touching her lips. "All right, Gran. I'll try to be patient."

The woman simply smiled, then went indoors, leaving her granddaughter alone at the foot of the steps.

Kairi closed her eyes and took a deep breath, smelling the gentle breeze that rolled in from the ocean. Opening her eyes again, she decided to go for a walk while the morning was still cool.

The path wound down from their little cottage on the hillside of Star Island's northern shore, gently sloping toward the beach. Along its length were brilliantly colored flowers and bushes, and as she walked, Kairi examined them thoughtfully, occasionally stopping to cup a blossom in her hand and breathe in its fragrance. As she did so, she pondered her grandmother's words and tried to feel that echo of power from the plant life. Once or twice she thought she caught a glimpse of it, somewhere deep inside, but it kept slipping away whenever she tried to examine it more closely.

Somehow Kairi's feet carried her to the little wooden pier, where her boat was moored next to her grandmother's own little-used one. On impulse, she climbed into the boat, locking the oars into place and untying the ropes. With a smooth motion, she began to row away from the shore, heading east and a little south.

Without really thinking consciously about it, Kairi made her way toward Waterfall Island, finally climbing out onto the dock and securing the boat. Her hands clasped behind her back, she walked down the deserted beach. From somewhere on the far side of the tiny island, she could hear children's voices - kids several years younger than herself, some of whom she had occasionally babysat, probably. For now, however, she had this side of the island to herself, the palm trees leaning over languidly to shelter the white sand.

Eventually Kairi found herself standing before a familiar alcove, an arch formed by vines and stones next to the waterfall that gave the island its name. She couldn't bring herself to go inside just now, however. The Secret Place held too many memories, some she wasn't sure she was in the mood to face at the moment.

A few paces to the right, in a patch of sun, Kairi could see a sapling beginning to grow. The young tree held a single, yellow paopu fruit, its star-shape so familiar, yet so enigmatic. Kairi went over to stand next to it, then touched her hand to its soft, slightly downy surface. _I wonder if you really do have magical powers._ The Seekers had supposedly created this plant, after all - though for what purpose she could not fathom. Kairi closed her eyes, listening and waiting. There was silence for a long time, but then…she thought she heard a faint chiming deep inside, with a soft, golden glimmer that seemed to float in the darkness behind her closed eyelids.

Kairi's eyes snapped open as a hand closed upon her wrist, startling her out of her reverie. She looked up to see a familiar-looking man in a black cloak. Red hair, green eyes, an expression that was half whimsical, half menacing… "Axel!"

The man nodded, grinning toothily. "Nice to see you again, Kairi, but we have no time for pleasantries, I'm afraid."

She pulled against his grip. "Let go of me. What do you want now?"

"Easy, girl. Like I said, no time." He frowned, glancing around warily. "Look, I'd wanted to give you more time to puzzle out your magic, but the situation's changed and we can't wait. The Organization's on their way, and we have to get you out of here now."

Kairi stopped pulling and blinked up at him, puzzled. "What do you mean? What's the Organization?" Her eyes narrowed. "Where do you plan on taking me?"

Axel shook his head. "Somewhere safe. Look, when you get there you're just going to have to lie low for a while. Here. This should tide you over for at least a day until I can send someone for you - it was all I was able to get." He pushed a cloth bundle into Kairi's free hand. She pulled up one corner of the cloth to look underneath and saw a loaf of bread, a couple of apples, and a small wedge of cheese. Axel shrugged. "Not much, I know, but there's no time."

"I know - you said that before." Kairi frowned. "What are you -"

"Ah, Axel. Right on time, I see."

They both looked up as another man came striding toward them. He was also dressed in a long, black leather coat, but he seemed perhaps a bit older than Axel, with close-cropped pale blond hair and a neatly trimmed beard. Small gold hoops adorned his ears, and he regarded Axel and Kairi with a slight, secretive smile.

"What are you doing here, Luxord?" Axel raised an eyebrow. "I thought you were taking one last look at the previous location."

The man called Luxord shrugged. "Demyx is a fool - there's nothing there. I thought I'd come take a look at this place." He glanced around, quirking one side of his mouth into a grin. "This should be interesting. I wonder what secrets await us here?"

Kairi pulled her arm from Axel's grip and rounded on the newcomer. "I don't know who you are, but there's nothing for you here!"

The man turned to face Kairi, eyes flashing with amusement. "What have we here?" He took a few steps toward her, and she realized how very tall he was by comparison. Stopping in front of her, he reached out with a black-gloved hand and lifted Kairi's chin. "Hmm. So you're the girl, are you? Might want to watch that mouth of yours - it could get you into trouble." He grinned.

Kairi jerked her chin away from him. "Don't you touch me."

"Ah, not very friendly, are we darling?" He ran the back of his hand down her cheek.

Axel stepped forward, putting out his arm to block the other man from Kairi. "What is it you want, Luxord? I'm in a bit of a hurry, if you don't mind."

"Taking the girl to the Superior, are you?" Luxord grinned mockingly. "Don't let me detain you from your errand, then."

Axel matched the grin, showing his teeth. "Oh, I won't." He took Kairi's arm again, a bit roughly, and pulled her towards him. "Come on, princess, time to go."

Kairi struggled. "You leave me alone, too!" She stomped on his foot, but Axel merely laughed and stretched his free hand out in front of him. An oval portal of deep black shot with waves of purple opened up before them, and he pulled Kairi toward it.

She struggled, but to no avail. Just before she vanished into the foreboding blackness, she turned to look at the other man. He was watching her with a smile, his eyes as cold as steel.

"Good bye, my dear. I'll be sure to take good care of your islands." He arched an eyebrow in amusement.

Kairi's cry of frustration was cut off as the darkness swallowed her.

* * *

_Confused yet? Yay! Look for chapter 17 soon! (Ha, Perhelediel, I'm catching up to you!) And many, many thanks for all the reviews!_


	17. Old Friends

**_The Road to Dawn_**  
_By Ariana Aislinn_  
_Chapter 17: Old Friends_

_What can I say? I have no excuse. I'm sorry I haven't updated in so long. I will try to do more soon, but I've hit a bit of a rough spot. I can't promise another chapter soon, but I will certainly try. Remember, though, I do absolutely swear I will finish this story! So worry not, it may take forever, but I won't abandon it._

_Standard disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts and its characters are the property of Square-Enix and Disney, not me._

* * *

"Where did they _come_ from all of a sudden?" Sora panted, slashing through another Shadow so that it disappeared in a spray of vanishing darkness.

"Gee, I dunno!" Goofy struck one with his shield, resulting in a faint _clang_. "They sure weren't here a moment ago…"

"Maybe they followed us?"

"Less talk, more fight!" Donald scowled as he cut Sora off, casting an ice spell on another nearby Heartless.

It had started with just a couple Heartless. Since their arrival in Gateway two days ago, Sora and his friends had been camping out in a shady copse just outside town as they tried to arrange for passage, preferably offworld somehow…but most ships would only get them to different parts of this world, and a gummi ship was prohibitively expensive. This morning they'd awoken and breakfasted, then started into town while discussing their options…and that was when the Heartless attacked.

The Heartless, simply weak Shadows, had nevertheless grown rapidly in number. Every time Sora dispatched one with the Keyblade, two more seemed to replace it. Now he paused a moment, looking around; they were completely surrounded by a throng of Heartless two rows deep, and growing in number as more rose up from the ground. "Think we can make a break for the city?"

"I don't think so," Goofy said doubtfully. "Besides, they might follow us. We don't wanna put other folks in danger, do we?"

"I guess not," Sora sighed in frustration, slashing through a few more Heartless. A third row was forming now, fencing them in.

"What're we gonna do?" Donald cried out in alarm, barely zapping a Shadow in time as it dove toward him, claws outstretched.

Sora didn't answer, focusing for a moment on fighting off the attack. Not only were the Heartless growing more numerous, they seemed to be acting more aggressive, as well.

In the midst of his concentration and focus on the battle, Sora did not immediately hear the low hum and whoosh of air that gradually came nearer. He only looked up when the sound grew loud enough that he could no longer ignore it - it was then nearly overhead. Slashing the nearest group of Heartless, he looked up, trying to brush his light brown hair out of his eyes.

"A gummi ship!" Donald shouted. And indeed it was - a particularly streamlined and aerodynamic ship, all white and silver with rounded features and a few decorative swirls. They watched, sparing only enough attention to beat back their attackers, as the ship descended and hovered nearby, almost directly above them.

A panel slid back to reveal a wide doorway, and a familiar face looked out at them. Short black hair whipped by the wind from the gummi ship's engines framed a cheerful, round face, at the moment looking somewhat hurried. "Hey guys! Climb aboard - hurry!"

"Yuffie!" Sora grinned and turned toward the ship. As he ran forward, more Heartless leapt at him, their ferocity rapidly growing. One was in midair, its yellow eyes inches from Sora's face, as he struck out with the Keyblade and vanquished it. He eradicated a few more Shadows as he darted for the gummi ship. The young ninja dropped a short, rope ladder down for him. Sora grabbed on and began climbing, looking back to make sure that Donald and Goofy were following. Goofy took hold of the ladder, almost missing it, just as Sora heaved himself over the edge of the doorway. Donald turned to let off one final thunder spell before following.

As soon as all three were safely aboard, Yuffie turned and cupped a hand against the side of her mouth. "_Hey Cid!_ We've got 'em - let's get out of here!" As she spoke, she turned and grabbed the door, sliding it shut. It closed with a loud slam, and the sound of the wind died away. Sora and his friends lay in a heap on the ship's metal floor - the cargo bay, apparently - and tried to catch their breath.

"Yuffie…" Sora gulped for air, then grinned at the ninja, attempting to blow his bangs out of his eyes. A faint sheen of sweat glistened on his forehead. "Where'd you guys come from?"

"We picked up a tip that you were here." The new voice belonged to a tall, solemn young man, entering from the area of the cockpit. Leon's boots thudded heavily on the cargo bay floor. He looked rather intimidating, his arms crossed in front of him and a stern frown on his face as he looked the three up and down. After a long, appraising look, however, one corner of his mouth turned up, and his eyebrows smoothed out, softening his look slightly. "Heh. Good to see you're okay. Guess we got here just in time, didn't we?"

"Leon!" Sora grinned, stumbling to his feet and holding out his hand to the man, who clasped it firmly. "It's great to see you!"

"You guys look a little the worse for wear, though." Yuffie grinned and arched an eyebrow.

"What, us? Nah, those Heartless were nothing!" Sora grinned with almost cocky confidence, clasping his hands behind his head.

Yuffie gestured toward Sora's front. "Oh yeah? Seems like you had a close call there."

Looking down, Sora realized that the front of his shirt was torn in one long, diagonal slash, strips of red and white fabric hanging in tatters. Beneath the shirt he could see faint, pink lines on his skin. His face turned slightly pale, seeing how close he apparently had come to a serious wound without ever realizing it. After the initial reaction, he turned a bit red, laughing in embarrassment. "Uh…guess I was kinda reckless, huh?"

"A bit," Yuffie snickered. "But don't worry, I think we can get you some replacement clothes soon enough."

"Where are we going, Leon?" Donald asked, looking over himself and his companions to make sure everyone was all right.

"Hollow Bastion. Safest place right now, and we can get you fixed up and resupplied while we talk about our next course of action."

"Oh yeah!" Sora grinned. "Hollow Bastion's okay now, isn't it?"

Leon shrugged. "Mostly. It's…complicated. Maleficent - and Ansem - did a lot to the place to mess it up, and we're slowly working on restoring it to the way it used to be. But aside from that…well, you'll just have to see." He shook his head.

"Uh…Leon, whatcha talkin' about?" Goofy scratched his head.

"It's the visitors." Yuffie nodded for emphasis. "Well, refugees, really. They've just started pouring in, and we're not sure where they've all come from…but we think it might have something to do with the barriers going down."

"Really? They're really down?" Sora sighed, looking downcast. "Of course, they'd have to be if you were able to come find us…but…we restored them!"

"That's right, we did! So uh…what happened to them?" Goofy frowned, perplexed.

"Maybe our journey meant nothing after all…" Donald looked tired and frustrated.

"Nah!" Sora grinned suddenly. "Not nothing. I mean, even if the barriers are down again…we did get rid of Ansem. That's something! And we saved a lot of worlds, too!"

"Including Hollow Bastion," Yuffie pointed out. "If you hadn't, we wouldn't be able to provide food and shelter to all those people."

"Not that that's easy." Leon grunted. "And I don't know about the bargain we made with that Setzer guy. Doesn't seem trustworthy to me at all."

"Then why'd you make the agreement, Squall?" Yuffie caught herself. "I mean, Leon."

"What choice did I have, Yuffie?" Leon spread his hands, looking frustrated. "Not like we've got enough resources to support everyone, when we're still trying to fix up the castle. And the town itself is still in ruins, you know that."

Yuffie sighed. "True." But then she brightened. "But we didn't pick you up just to depress you with our problems! Sora, how've you been? _Where_ have you been?" She grinned. "It's just so _great_ to see you again!"

The grin was infectious, and Sora returned it. "It's great to see you too, Yuffie! And gee…where do we start?" He glanced at Goofy and Donald, who shrugged. "To tell the truth, I'm not even sure exactly what's happened to us…a lot of it is kind of muddled."

"Well, start with when you left us at Hollow Bastion and go from there." Leon nodded. "Maybe we can help fill in the holes."

* * *

It took a long time to tell the whole story of their journey to Ansem's darkness-wrought world, of the Door to Darkness and what lay beyond it, of Riku's disappearance behind the door along with the king, of the restoration of the worlds and how they had become lost on the world of Gateway and Castle Oblivion. As they talked, Yuffie and Leon scrounged up some food for them - packaged sandwiches and bottles of water from the gummi ship's stores.

"What I really want to know now, though -" Sora took a gulp of water to wash down a mouthful of sandwich - "is what caused the barriers to go down. And if refugees are showing up in Hollow Bastion, doesn't it seem like the darkness has something to do with it? And how is that possible, if we sealed off the Door to Darkness?"

Leon shrugged. "Just because you sealed it doesn't mean the darkness is gone. Darkness has been among the worlds for centuries. Hollow Bastion has legends about it - how long ago the light disappeared into darkness and had to be brought back by those few who still had pure hearts."

Yuffie nodded. "Ever since then, this universe has been mix of both light and dark. You can't have one without the other, and both are intermingled - at least until the day that the Door to Darkness or the Door to Light is opened. And then…there's no telling what might happen."

"If you believe the tales, that is." Leon shook his head. "I'm really not sure what's true and what isn't. But I think we can be sure that the danger isn't over. By sealing the Door to Darkness, you prevented a huge influx of darkness that probably would have washed away every speck of light in the universe, eventually. But just because you sealed it doesn't mean it can't ever be opened again. I don't think that's happened, not yet."

"But just because you stopped darkness from covering everything doesn't mean you got rid of the darkness that was already here," Yuffie pointed out.

Sora sighed, hanging his head slightly. "It's so frustrating."

"Well, yeah, but don't you dare start feeling sorry for yourself, or I'm going to have to pound some heads." Yuffie grinned.

Sora chuckled. "Yeah, I know. Oh well! It just means we have to figure out a way to lock up the darkness permanently. So, where do we start?" He stuffed the rest of his sandwich in his mouth and licked the crumbs off his fingers.

Leon gestured toward the cockpit. "Well, like I said, Cid's got us headed back to Hollow Bastion. We can meet up with Aerith and the others there and come up with a plan."

Goofy frowned at Leon, scratching his head. "There's just somethin' I don't get, though. How'd you fellers know to come lookin' for us here?"

"Now _that's_ something really weird. This guy showed up in the front hall along with the latest group of refugees, but he didn't look like any of them. He seemed kinda…purposeful, you know?" Yuffie cocked her head to one side. "Not to mention he was wearing these red robes, and his face was covered in red bandages."

"Red bandages? What for?" quacked Donald, looking confused.

"No idea! Maybe as a disguise, maybe to hide some scars or an injury - I don't know. All I could tell about how he looked was that he was kind of tall, and he had bright golden eyes and kind of tanned skin. I think. He was wearing gloves, too, and I couldn't see much through the bandages. Majorly strange."

Leon sighed. "If Yuffie had any ability to get to the point, she'd tell you that this man introduced himself only as DiZ, and he said you needed a ride. Then he gave us a navi-gummi, and he left."

Yuffie stuck her tongue out at Leon. "Well, if you want to give them the short, boring version, yeah."

"Wonder who he is? Not to mention how he would know we were here." Sora laughed. "I don't even know what we're doing here!"

Leon frowned thoughtfully. "That's right, you said you lost your memory. Another mystery."

Sora shrugged. "I suppose we'll find out the answers sooner or later. I'm not too concerned about it right now. I'm more worried about the darkness spreading across the worlds again…and Riku, too. Kairi's all right, I think - I hope. I know she went back to the islands, so she's gotta be okay. And it sounds as if Riku and the king somehow managed to escape from the Realm of Darkness, but we still don't know where they are."

Yuffie grinned and patted Sora's shoulder. "Well, I'm sure you'll find those answers soon enough, too, and you'll meet up with your friends again. But for now, there's an even more pressing question."

Sora blinked, frowning slightly. "What's that?"

Yuffie's grin turned devious, and she held up a deck of cards, waving it at Sora. "Can you beat me at poker?"

Sora chuckled. "I dunno, but I can try! You in, guys?"

Donald and Goofy nodded their assent, and Yuffie began to deal out the cards as they all found seats around a small table.

* * *

"I'm telling you, man, this symbol _means_ something!"

Xigbar folded his arms and shrugged. "Yeah, it means you're an idiot."

Demyx glared daggers at him. "Very clever, Eyepatch. You want my fist in your face?"

The other man chuckled. "Ha, as if you had the guts! You're not a bad guy, Demyx, but when it comes to fighting, you're about as scary as string cheese. Anyway, relax, I was just messing with ya. But I'll tell you, there ain't anything there and you might as well give up. I know you like being around all this water and all, but cheer up, there's water at the Destiny Islands, too."

Demyx sighed, brushing back the longer blond hair that hung at his neck. "You know it's not like that, Xigbar." He rather regretted ever telling the older man that he felt so drawn to the rushing waters of Rising Falls. Xigbar hadn't really understood what he meant, and he'd never quit teasing him about it. "I'm pretty sure this symbol means something important. Why would the Seekers just leave their mark for no reason?"

"Ya got me. But if they weren't just saying 'The Seekers were here,' then what _is_ it?"

"Well, um…maybe it's a switch of some sort. Or a code."

Xigbar raised an eyebrow. "A shooting star and a crown ain't a code, kid. And if it's a switch, how're you supposed to trigger it? Look, if there's something here, we can come back. But for now we gotta move on, and Darkside's getting restless. I don't think you wanna be on his bad side any more than I do."

"Not really, no," Demyx mumbled, staring at the ground. To tell the truth, Darkside scared him spitless, but he wasn't about to admit that to the sharp-tongued gunman. "All right, fine. I'll go to the islands. But what are we looking for? Have we at least got a lead this time?"

Xigbar nodded. "Yep. Apparently the kid with the key isn't the only interesting thing to come out of that place - seems there's a tradition of the Seekers there too, and some remnants of their magic. You ever heard of paopu fruit…?"

"Nah. Does it taste good in a pie?"

Xigbar cuffed him lightly on the shoulder. "Enough, kid. Let's get going, all right?"

Demyx rubbed sulkily at his arm. "Fine, just don't hit me again."

Xigbar laughed. "You wimp. Right, last one there has to wash Xaldin's socks." He vanished in a swirl of blue-streaked darkness.

"Hey!" Demyx protested, and followed suit.

* * *

_Well, there ya go. Next chapter may involve Sora if I keep up with the two chapters per character rhythm I have going, but I'm not positive yet. We'll see._


	18. Return to Hollow Bastion

**_The Road to Dawn_**  
_By Ariana Aislinn_  
_Chapter 18: Return to Hollow Bastion_

_Well, life has really been throwing one thing after another at me! The good news is I have a new job teaching first grade. The bad news is, it really eats up my time and makes it hard for me to write. Still, I wanted to try to have a chapter ready for a Christmas present for my readers. Yes, I know it's a bit late, and it's just barely an hour too late to call it a New Year's present, but I hope you'll all forgive me for that! So, enjoy!_

_Standard disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts and its characters are the property of Square-Enix and Disney, not me._

* * *

"It shore is a good thing we weren't bettin' real money, a-hyuck!"

"Oh, be quiet!" grumbled Donald, but Sora only laughed as they followed Yuffie up the front steps of the castle at Hollow Bastion.

"Relax, guys! It was a long flight, and it was a fun game, even if she beat the pants off us." Sora poked the duck in the forehead. "Now, pay attention! We've got a lot to do to find out what's been happening, and where we should go next."

Donald eyed the crowded steps as they approached the front gate of the castle. "There sure are an awful lot of people here…" He indicated the crowds of people gathered here and there. Nearby sat a small group of despondent-looking elderly men, chatting quietly.

"I know." Yuffie nodded, walking just in front of them. "It's so weird, too. There was a time when Hollow Bastion used to be filled with people, but when I was a kid the population was in a bit of a decline. Then, after the night of the storm when Maleficent arrived, those who survived were mostly refugees in Traverse Town or other worlds. Not all of them returned after the barriers went up. But like we said, something must have gone wrong with the barriers. It was only a couple weeks after you defeated Ansem that refugees started to show up here, just as if this were Traverse Town. All sorts of people are here now, from all over the place, and we're having a hard time accommodating them all," she told them as she pushed open the huge, double doors to the castle's front hall.

"No thanks to some," muttered Leon, overhearing the tail end of their conversation as they entered. He was seated on the edge of the central fountain, with a clipboard and a pile of blankets, apparently tallying up supplies. "Sorry to leave you to Yuffie's tender mercies when we arrived, but you were in the middle of your game, and there's way too much work to be done." He looked up at Yuffie and sighed, shaking his head. "I knew that Setzer seemed untrustworthy. Haven't heard another word from him about those promised supplies. Good thing I wasn't counting on the extra help, but it still ticks me off."

Yuffie slapped a hand on his shoulder, drawing a glare from the young man. She grinned. "Oh, lighten up! We're all doing the best we can to help, and we've got Sora now, too!"

"Oh yeah, sure!" Sora nodded. "Just let us know what you need, and we'll help out."

"Here we go again," Donald said, rolling his eyes. Goofy merely nodded good-naturedly.

"Maybe later, but thanks, guys. Look, I gave Aerith a call as soon as we got close and asked her to look around for some spare clothes for you, Sora. Why don't you head upstairs and see if she's found anything?"

Yuffie nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, she's already set aside a room for you, though with all the refugees, you're going to have to settle for one of the ones we're not done fixing up. They're all pretty messy, and some were partially filled with machinery for Ansem's experiments, but I think we found one that's not too bad. Though you'll have to share!"

"Aw, no big deal." Sora grinned. "Goofy snores, but I think we'll manage."

"What?" Goofy blinked. "Do I really?"

"Like a lion with indigestion!"

"Hey now, I know you're not comparing me with Simba, are ya, Donald?"

Sora just chuckled and followed Yuffie upstairs as the other two lagged behind, arguing. They had to take a few lifts, but a couple of stories up Yuffie guided them to a residential wing filled with open doorways. They found Aerith inside one of the rooms, an apron tied around her waist and her hair tied up in a pink kerchief. She sneezed lightly, then wrinkled up her nose and waved a hand in front of her face. "So dusty in here…" She brightened as she saw Sora, hurrying forward to give him a quick hug. "So good to see you! I hear you had a bit of trouble on your way here."

"Aw, it was nothing." Sora shrugged, grinning sheepishly as he eyed his slashed-up shirt front. "Well…except for a close call. I hear you've got some replacement clothes for me?"

Aerith nodded. "I think so. Actually, we found a couple of rooms that will do, so if Goofy and Donald don't mind sharing, I'll put you up in the next room. The clothes I found are there. Will that be all right?"

"I guess so. Lucky Sora," Donald grumbled, sticking out his tongue at Goofy, but Sora could see a humorous glint in the duck's eye. Likewise, Goofy's hurt look had a feigned air about it, and it was obvious that the pair's banter hid a long-standing friendship. Yuffie flopped down on a dusty bedspread to chat animatedly with them as Aerith walked out into the hallway with Sora.

Aerith stepped back, eyeing Sora appraisingly. "Hmm…I had a few different outfits, but you've grown more than I thought you had."

"Really?" Sora frowned thoughtfully, comparing the height difference between himself and Aerith.

She giggled softly. "Yes, but that's actually a good thing. Most of the clothes I found are in a bit of disrepair, but there's one outfit that was actually in very good condition. I was worried it wouldn't fit you, but since you've obviously grown a couple of inches, it won't be a problem." She rested a fist against her chin. "I'd mend your old clothes for you, but have you looked in a mirror lately? I think you're outgrowing them."

Sora blushed, rubbing the back of his head. "We've, ah, been a little busy."

"So I hear! Very well then, this way." She pushed open the door to the next room, which looked very like the last. This one, however, had some ragged curtains in a window where Donald and Goofy's room had none, and the bedspread was of a different pattern, though just as dusty. In one corner a bit of copper piping came through the floor, stretching up through the ceiling on its way to an upper level.

On the bed was a pile of clothes, laid out as neatly as Aerith had been able to manage. Many of them were hopelessly wrinkled, and a few were a bit faded. Several shirts needed mending, and there were some quite dusty pairs of pants. Aerith picked a black bundle trimmed with red and golden yellow off the top of the pile and pushed it into Sora's arms. "Here, try these on. I'll be waiting in the hall."

"Okay, thanks." Sora held the clothes up and shook them out, eyeing them curiously as Aerith shut the door behind him.

They were actually rather similar in style to his old, baggy pants and short-sleeved jacket, but aside from the difference in color, there was something else different about them that he couldn't quite put his finger on. Perhaps it was that they looked more grown up, somehow. His trademark hood was there, too, as well as some very sturdy looking gloves and shoes; he had to admit that his own were rather the worse for wear. He tried them on quickly, and it was almost eerie how they seemed made for him. "Hey, Aerith," he called, "where did you say you found these again?"

"I didn't, precisely. I haven't gotten a chance to speak with Leon about it yet, but yesterday I was out on the ramparts and found a package addressed to 'The Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee.'" She giggled slightly. "Funny name, isn't it? But I decided to go ahead and open it, and inside were some blankets and foldable cots, as well as some changes of clothes, apparently for the refugees. Oddly enough, there was nothing else quite like that outfit there. It reminded me so much of you, I brought it up as soon as I heard you were on your way."

"That's pretty odd!" Sora shrugged and started changing out of his old clothes. It didn't take long to get the new ones on, and it felt even stranger once he was wearing them - they fit like a glove. There was also something, a strange air hanging about them. Sora closed his eyes for a moment, thinking. Faint images briefly flitted across his mind…freshly sharpened pencils, soft, white light, and gentle lines of color across crisp paper. Then, as quickly as it had come, it was gone. Slowly Sora grinned. He wasn't sure how she'd managed it, but he knew where the new clothes had come from. "Thanks, Naminé," he said softly, then turned to go see what Aerith thought of the fit.

* * *

Some hours later, the three visitors had gotten well settled into their temporary quarters. Sora, Donald, and Goofy now stood around a rather cluttered castle kitchen with their old friends, eating a hurried dinner of roast chicken, potatoes, and carrots. In addition to Leon, Yuffie, and Aerith, Cid had joined them, having just come from somewhere in the depths of the castle, where he'd been working dismantling some machinery. The others chatted amiably, but Cid applied himself seriously to the task of eating.

"I apologize for the food. We've gotten some of our gardens up and running again, but they just aren't doing very well. At least the livestock seems to be thriving, on the outskirts of town." Aerith dabbed a napkin at her mouth as she leaned against the sink, plate in one hand and a fork held daintily in the other.

"Really?" Sora belatedly remembered to finish chewing and swallowed before continuing. "All I've ever really seen is the castle. I didn't even know there was room for stuff like animals and gardens."

"Oh, sure!" Yuffie nodded while gnawing on a drumstick. "Granted, Ansem really did take over a lot of stuff with his machines, and then when Maleficent showed up, the place really went to hell. The gardens were neglected and got overgrown, and a bunch of the livestock ran off or died. But we're doing our best to restore our livelihood. Things were actually going pretty well until the refugees started showing up."

"I'm afraid most of the refugees are on their own as far as food, though," sighed Leon. "We just can't handle cooking meals for all of them. But they've managed to do okay. Some of them have stuff to trade, and the townspeople share what they can. You gotta admit, Hollow Bastion may not have a lot of survivors, but we're a tough bunch, and most of 'em are pretty generous, too."

"I can tell! Thanks for letting us stay, you guys."

Yuffie laughed. "Of course, Sora! What'd you think we were going to do, shove you out on a balcony with a pillow?"

He grinned. "You never know." He chewed thoughtfully on a bite of potatoes, then turned to Leon. "Hey Leon, we've got to plan our next move. I don't suppose you could help?"

Leon shrugged, not looking up from his plate. "I suppose we can try, but I don't make any guarantees. I'm really not sure what we can do."

"We have to find the king!" Donald insisted.

Sora grinned. "Yeah, Donald, I know. Just calm down, okay?" He tweaked the duck's beak, who stuck out his tongue in return. He laughed, but then turned serious again as he regarded Leon. "Well, Donald _is_ right, but that's not all we have to do. Ultimately, we've got to find out what's going on with the barriers. Whatever's wrong, I think it's pretty clear that our job's not done yet, and the worlds still aren't entirely safe from the darkness. So, we've gotta make them safe, and to do that we're going to need help. We need to know things, and we need to find our friends. Besides which…I'm worried about Riku. Last I heard he was okay, I think, but…I'd like to _know_, you know?"

Leon nodded. "Sure. So, you got a place to start, or any leads?"

Goody tapped his chin thoughtfully. "I dunno about you guys, but I'd like to know how come we were asleep for so long, and just who wanted to mess with our memories."

"Well…it's all okay now, isn't it? We got our memories back."

Donald frowned. "I know, Sora, but don't you want to know _why_ they were messed with in the first place?"

Leon raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you say you met the girl who did it?"

"That's right…Naminé." Sora nodded. "Like we told you and Yuffie before, Leon, Naminé woke us up in Castle Oblivion. She said that she'd had to put us to sleep so she could restore our memories."

"That's right! 'Cause she'd had to uh…draw over our memories. Y'know, erase 'em. Dunno why…I think she said someone made her do it."

"But why would someone do that? And what made her put things back the way they were?" Aerith asked.

Sora shook his head. "That's just it, we don't know. I guess Donald and Goofy are right - it's something we need to find out. It's just…Naminé is a good person, and I don't want anything to get in the way of believing that."

"Gawrsh, Sora, you don't have to worry about that! Finding out the truth is a good thing, and I'm sure Naminé has a good heart."

Donald nodded decisively. "That's right! You told her we could be friends with her, right? And you know your friends will stand by you. If anything, finding out the truth may give us a way to help her."

Sora brightened. "Yeah, you're right. She seemed okay for the moment, but…someone's making her do things she doesn't want to do, and I'd like to find out who, and why. Still…we're right back where we started. We just have more questions to answer, and no starting places." He sighed.

"Right then," said Yuffie. "Let's try this. What _are_ the questions you want answered? If we go through them step by step, maybe we'll find some we can help you answer."

The other three exchanged glances, thinking. "Well," said Donald slowly, "can we fill in any of the holes since we were here last? When we saw you, you'd come back to Hollow Bastion just after Sora sealed Maleficent's Keyhole. What happened then?"

"That's right. That was when we took off in the gummi ship after Ansem. What happened to you after that?"

"The barriers went up again, and many of the survivors returned to Hollow Bastion. We started rebuilding and cleaning up the castle, trying to undo the mess Ansem and Maleficent had made of the place." Leon shrugged. "What we told you before, pretty much."

"Yes, but what about the Keyhole? Is it still locked?"

Aerith regarded the duck thoughtfully. "Truth to tell, we don't like to go up there…it used to be the Great Hall that housed Ansem's throne room, and it was often used for royal balls and other formal occasions. But now…it's such a mess, and it holds so many bad memories. The Keyhole's still there, and we're really not sure how to dismantle it…or even if we should. I'm pretty sure it can't be opened, and there's no darkness pouring out of it, but it just sits there…waiting."

Goofy nodded. "So it's not doing anything suspicious, then?"

Yuffie shook her head. "Not as far as we can tell."

Sora, who had been silent for a moment, spoke up. "Maybe we need to go back even further. There's one thing I've never really had a chance to ask all of you, not since I started to find out some of the truth." He looked up, meeting each of their eyes in turn. "The Keyhole was made from the hearts of seven princesses. The last one Maleficent needed was Kairi. Kairi used to live in Hollow Bastion before she came to the Destiny Islands, on the night of the meteor shower. So…who _is_ Kairi? Did she really live here, and did any of you know her…before?"

There was a long silence, and no one really looked at each other. After a while, Yuffie shrugged. "Well, I was only six when Hollow Bastion fell to the Heartless, so I don't really remember much." She stuffed a huge bite of potatoes in her mouth and concentrated carefully on eating.

The silence stretched out again, until it was eventually broken by a rather indelicate throat-clearing. "Ya'll chose a real doozy of a subject to bring up," Cid growled around his fork. "But I'd say you deserve to know the truth - as much of it as we can tell you."

Sora frowned. "What do you mean, as much as you can tell?"

"What he means, Sora, is that there's some we don't remember, some we aren't sure about because of the confusion at the time, and some that's just not our right to tell. Not as long as Kairi herself doesn't know." Leon frowned. "For that matter, some of it I'm not even sure she'd want to know."

"Please," Sora begged, suddenly very hungry to know the truth. "Please just tell me. I…I need to know, at least a little of it. What happened that night? What happened to Kairi, and to her family?"

Leon was stubbornly silent for a while, but Aerith caught his eye. "Come on, Leon," she said gently. "Tell him, please."

The tall man sighed, straightening up a little. He set his empty plate on the counter and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Look, Sora, a lot of this is just water under the bridge. It doesn't matter anymore. But I'll tell you this - I was a pain-in-the-neck teenager at the time, a little too concerned with myself to notice much around me, but I do remember Kairi was a sweet little kid. Only four, and always getting into stuff, but cheerful and friendly. She had a family that loved her very much, and like a lot of people, she lost them on that night. In fact, for the longest time we all thought she was dead, too. But before Maleficent came, Kairi lived in the castle with her family."

Sora nodded. "Kairi's grandmother is still alive. She lives on the islands with us now."

"Good to hear; I'd hoped as much. That old lady sure had it in for me a few times, but I'll admit it, I was a brat." He quirked a smile. "I'm glad to hear she's okay."

"But…the rest of Kairi's family?" Sora pressed.

"Kairi's parents were fine people. Very well thought of, and great leaders. Never spent much time with them myself, but everyone knew who they were. They were…killed by the Heartless." Leon stared at the floor. "Saw it happen, though it was at a distance. I was trying to fight some of the Heartless a little ways off. It was when I saw the two of them go down, side by side, under a heap of Heartless…when I saw the blood…" He coughed. "That's when I panicked. I was frozen to the spot, and for several minutes, all I could do was watch the world fall apart around me. That is, until Cid slapped me in the face. Once he'd snapped me out of it, he ordered me to follow him to his gummi ship and piled me aboard with Yuffie and Aerith. That was the last I saw of Hollow Bastion, until you took on Maleficent." He looked away, and Sora could see he wasn't planning on sharing anything further.

"Can't say as I knew what was happening at the time; I was too busy trying to get the young 'uns out," muttered Cid, "but I knew Kairi's parents were dead, and I kinda figured she and her grandma were goners too. Everywhere I went there were bodies, and where there weren't, there should have been but there were only more Heartless. Seemed as if everyone was either dead or taken by the darkness. I saved who I could, and I hightailed it out of there."

There was another minute or so of silence, and finally Sora spoke again. "That…that's not all, though. There's more."

Cid shook his head. "Remember what I said, kid. Ain't necessarily your business. You sure you need to know? Kairi's safe now, and that's all that matters, ain't it?"

"Yes, but…I think she'd want to know the truth, too. And…this isn't over yet. How do we know she won't get caught up in things again? As much as I'd hate for that to happen, she _is_ one of the seven princesses, whatever that means. Doesn't that mean someone might still try to use her? I don't exactly understand it, but I think I've always known there was something special, something important about her. I'd like to know exactly what that is, so I can try to find a way to protect her…if and when the time comes." Sora swallowed back a lump in his throat. He wanted to know…and yet he didn't. There was something wrong about finding out the truth before Kairi herself knew it, but he meant what he said. He'd made a promise to Kairi to come back to her, but he'd also made a promise to himself to protect her. In order to do that, he needed to know.

Leon sighed. "All right then. Sora…Kairi really _is_ a princess, not that we ever really used the title much. Her mother's brother was the king of Hollow Bastion."

"The king? But…then…"

Leon nodded. "That's right. Ansem the Wise, the last Seeker of Wisdom, was Kairi's uncle."

* * *

_And now I shall rub my hands together deviously as I disappear into the night, to work on the next chapter some before bedtime! Happy New Year, everyone!_


	19. The Lost Library

**_The Road to Dawn_**  
_By Ariana Aislinn_  
_Chapter 19: The Lost Library_

_Chapters may not come as often as I'd like, but at least this one didn't take too terribly long, despite the insane amount of time I'm devoting to my job. Many, **many** thanks to Koorino Megumi for beta reading this chapter!_

_Standard disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts and its characters are the property of Square-Enix and Disney, not me._

* * *

Kairi scowled, folding her arms across her chest and sighing heavily. Although she couldn't see much through the misty windows, the white light from outside appeared to have dimmed, and she suspected it was growing dark. It had been midmorning when Axel had dumped her off here and vanished without so much as an explanation. Slumped on the floor with her back to the wall, she stared around the room - it was coldly white and empty, with only a single table and chair for furniture and tall windows that let in only a featureless white light from outside.

The basket Axel had given her sat on the table, barely touched. She'd nibbled at some bread earlier, but her restlessness and irritation had dulled her appetite to almost nothing. Besides which, although there was probably enough food there to tide her over for the day or so Axel had said she'd be here, Kairi had no way of knowing if his words were true. She certainly had no cause to trust the infuriating man.

She'd tried exploring earlier, but a trip downstairs had shown her two completely empty floors exactly like this one, but lacking even the meager furniture of the top floor. The stairs seemed to spiral down endlessly, and she soon gave up her search. Still, if something didn't happen soon, she was of a mind to try again - anything to keep from sitting here and going crazy.

Kairi sighed again, then slapped her hands down on the floor next to her, pushing herself up off the ground. "That's it," she muttered. "I'm going to give it another try. There has to be _something_ else here." Walking over to the room's single door, she pushed it open and crossed the empty white hall to where the great staircase spiraled downward. Kairi began walking, her hand resting on the banister and sliding along it as she went.

"Why did Axel drop me here, anyway?" she mused aloud. "Not like there's anything here at all. He said it was safe, but…all it seems is empty, to me." She shivered, hugging herself with her free arm. "I just wish I had some way of…I don't know, protecting myself. A weapon, or something. Better yet, a way to use this magic I'm supposed to have." She scowled down into the dim light below her. "Why am I talking to myself? I guess it's just so empty that I have to fill it up with words…"

She'd reached the next floor down. An empty hall stretched before her, filled only with occasional white porcelain vases and wall sconces that emitted soft light. At the far end was another door, which she knew from before led to another set of stairs. She sighed. "Guess I might as well check this room again though, just in case." She began to circle the long hallway, strolling slowly with her hands clasped behind her back, examining the walls, floor, and ceiling.

Axel had said something about the Organization being on its way. Who was this Organization, and what could they want with her? The obvious answer slid into her mind, but she was inclined to dismiss it. The princesses of heart, if that was really what she was, had the ability to create, and conversely to seal, the Keyhole to darkness, and also to hold back darkness. It seemed of rather limited usefulness to Kairi, and she couldn't imagine how this Organization could possibly want to use that.

So what else? Nothing came to mind, except possibly her connection with Sora and Riku. Could they want her as a hostage, perhaps - leverage to use against her friends? That thought seemed a bit more disturbing, and a bit more likely as well. She raised her chin stubbornly. "I won't let them do _that,_" she told the emptiness. "No one's going to use _me_ to hurt Sora, _or_ Riku."

Still, there was no way to know. Kairi walked on, her soft footsteps echoing in the empty room…and then she stopped. Her hand, tracing along the wall, had felt something strange. A groove? She took a step back and peered more closely. There, hidden in the whiteness of the wall, was a faint indentation. She traced a finger around it - a crown, with a shooting star falling through its center.

Kairi's eyes scanned the wall, and a few inches below the first symbol she caught sight of another. This time it was a keyhole and a key. Somewhat intrigued now, she reached out to trace it as she had the other symbol. As soon as her forefinger touched the white indentation, it glowed softly, then moved inward with a faint grinding sound. Kairi took her hand away and stepped backward, eyes widening slightly as grooves appeared in the previously seamless white walls. The grinding sound increased, and then a door creaked open in front of her, revealing a darkened spiral staircase.

Kairi stood there for several long minutes, staring into the darkness. After a while she swallowed nervously, then shrugged. "I might as well see where this goes, I guess…" Forcing a wavering smile onto her face, she headed downward.

As she walked, faint lights sputtered to life next to her - dim blue and red glows from some unknown source, settled into wall sconces. The stairs continued downward for some distance, but not quite as much as the previous spiral staircase. This one was also much narrower, the ceiling lower down. Finally Kairi stepped out onto some ancient, cracked tile, heavily covered in a layer of dust. Lights flickered on in the room around her, spreading a dim glow outward to show her surroundings.

This room was a bit smaller than the room upstairs where Axel had left her. It was much darker, with no outside windows and the only light coming from the dying light sources on the walls. Most of the length of these walls was lined with shelves, which appeared to contain primarily books and scrolls. Kairi walked over to one of them, touched the spine of a book gingerly, then gently blew some of the dust off of it. She could just make out some cracked gold lettering on the front cover, but it was difficult to read in the faint light.

Under the title, whatever it was, there was a golden symbol, also cracked and flaking. It appeared to be a star, formed from five lines that overlapped each other, but drawn in such a way that it was possible to trace a single path all around it. Kairi traced her finger gently along the star, beginning at the top point and moving around until she had come back to where she had started. Frowning in the dim light, she stared at the title again, leaning down so her nose was almost touching the ancient leather cover. She could barely make out a word - it looked like _Paosurala,_ but she couldn't be sure. It certainly wasn't in any language she knew.

Kairi shuffled carefully through the books on the shelf until she found another whose paint was still somewhat readable. The gilt here was a bit brighter, and she read the title aloud softly - "_The Four Worlds._ Hmm." She moved on to the next book, entitled _The Rise of Darkness._ Most of the rest on that shelf were entirely unreadable, however. She was still carefully rifling through the shelf's contents when a faint sound made her freeze. There were footsteps coming from the stairwell.

She looked around for a place to hide, but there was only an old, wooden table in the center of the room, which would offer no cover to speak of. Before she could make a move toward it, a figure appeared in the doorway, lit faintly by the dying lamps in the room. He was relatively short, with spiky hair, baggy pants, and hands stuffed casually into his pockets - not Axel, then. He didn't have the same build, and he carried himself differently. In fact…Kairi's eyes widened. "You're not…"

"Oh, there you are, Kairi." The figure stepped closer, coming a little bit more into focus. The dim light illuminated him enough to show that his hair was yellow-blond, and his clothes were primarily white and black. The boy grinned at her in a strangely familiar way, and his eyes were an intense shade of blue that Kairi knew all too well. "Nope, I'm not Sora. That is what you were going to ask, isn't it?"

Kairi drooped, feeling deflated. Her heart, which had begun to flutter slightly, slowed in disappointment. "…Yes. But…that would be stupid, I guess. I mean, what would he be doing here?"

The boy shrugged, walking over to the table and leaning against it. "Dunno. But he _was_ here, about a week ago. Couldn't say why, though…I mean, good luck ever trying to understand the workings of the Organization's plans in the first place, and Castle Oblivion was under the control of a rebel faction at the time, anyway. I have no idea what they really wanted with him."

Kairi's heart leapt, and she put out a hand to steady herself against a bookshelf. "Wait, he _was?_ But he was…a prisoner of the Organization?"

"Well…kind of, but kinda not, too."

She frowned. "You're not making any sense."

He grinned at her, almost cockily. It reminded her of Riku's sardonic smiles. "Yeah, I'm not, am I? Guess I should introduce myself. Roxas. Nice to meet you." He stuck out his hand.

Kairi eyed it for a moment, then reached out slowly and shook it. He withdrew his hand and stuck it in his pocket again, regarding her amiably as she looked him over appraisingly. "So…what are you doing here, then?"

"Oh, I came to get you, of course."

"Then did Axel send you?"

The boy's eyes flashed. "Hardly. Nah, he had someone else find a messenger for him. I don't have any direct contact with Axel…which reminds me, we ought to get out of here before he comes back. You don't want him to find you still here."

"But…" Kairi put a hand to her forehead. "I'm totally lost. He's the one who brought me here. I don't trust him, but he didn't act as if he meant me any immediate harm." She eyed Roxas, obviously none too sure about his intentions, either. Still, it was hard not to place at least a little faith in this kid, with his disarming, self-assured smile and his deep blue eyes that were so like Sora's.

"He didn't. No, it's Darkside you need to worry about - you and me both, really. Much as I'd love to stick around and chat, we need to get going." Roxas looked around the room. "How'd you find this place, anyway? Looks like quite a treasure trove…anything you want to bring with us? I know a guy who'd probably love to get his hands on some of these books."

"We've got time?"

"Sure, if you don't take all day about it."

Kairi scanned the shelves again quickly, then settled on the three titles she'd been able to decipher. Piling them into her arms, she nodded. "I'm ready. So, where are we going?"

Roxas grinned. "Gonna trust me, then?"

She sighed. "I don't have much of a choice, do I? Besides, there's certainly nothing else for me here."

"Okay, come on then." He nodded. "I know a back way out of here." Heading up the stairway, he beckoned to Kairi, and she followed with her armful of books.

Back in the main hallway, the wall slid black into place with another grinding noise as soon as Kairi emerged from the stairwell. The doorway sealed itself again, invisible once more except for the camouflaged symbols she had discovered by chance. Roxas continued on across the hallway, headed for another door Kairi hadn't seen - though this one had an odd shape to it, the upper lintel cut into a jagged series of dags. "This way," he called over his shoulder.

Roxas waited for Kairi to follow him into the room, then he turned to face the door and held out his hand. The door dissolved into plain, white wall, and a small object shot into his hand.

"What…?"

Roxas grinned, flipping the object around and displaying it for her. "A card," he said. "Nifty, huh?" Another flash of his fingers, and the card vanished.

"What is this place?" Kairi asked, looking around the new room.

"You mean this room, or the whole building?"

"Both."

"Ah. Well, the building is Castle Oblivion. An abandoned stronghold, taken over some years back by the Organization. And _this_ is the pod room."

It was just like all the other rooms she'd seen of the castle, but this one contained a strange, crystalline structure, like a furled flower bud, that appeared almost to be growing out of the center of the room. Kairi shook her head. "This is a really weird place."

He grinned. "You have no idea. Come on, this way."

Kairi could now see a swirling vortex behind the crystal pod. Black streaked with blue swirls and white shimmers of light, it was like a whirlpool set into the white wall of the room. "You're kidding, right?"

Roxas nodded. "Don't worry, it's perfectly safe. Although…" He eyed her for a moment. "Going to take a bit of work to take you into the twilight world. Here, do you mind? Hold still a minute."

Kairi had no chance to object before he reached out and settled gentle fingertips on her forehead. He closed his eyes, as if listening, or scanning the inside of his eyelids. "Hmm…" he muttered. "I think we can do it, but I'll have to wrap you in a duskcloak."

"A what?"

He grinned. "Don't worry about it. Just a simple procedure. Sort of like magic, though not quite…but it's the best way to describe it so you'll understand. You'll see." He stuffed his hands in his pockets again, frowning slightly. "Funny, though. Someone's already rearranged the links."

Kairi furrowed her brow. "What do you mean?"

"Someone's been at your memories. Looks like it was a long time ago, but something's been erased. I can't tell what - that would take a lot of work, and a lot of time we don't have." He sighed. "I wonder who did it." Strange; he looked almost…sad. The boy quickly snapped himself out of it, however, and grinned. "Right, let's go." He reached out again, waving a hand in Kairi's direction and then touching her forehead gently once more. Something fell over her eyes, almost like a dark, misty curtain, dimming the room's white to a pearly gray. Roxas took her hand. "Okay, follow me."

"Into _that?_"

"I told you, it's fine! Besides, you've got me with you." He gave her a grin that was hauntingly familiar.

Kairi had seen that very same grin many times before. Her heart turned a somersault, and she found herself nodding. "All right…I trust you."

"Okay then! Hang on, this'll only take a moment…and then we're off to Twilight Town!"

He tugged gently on Kairi's arm, pulling her through the portal after him. A moment later, the swirling vortex closed in on itself, leaving the crystalline pod room as empty as it had been before.

* * *

Three figures walked across the eastern shore of Star Island, their boots crunching softly in the sand. All three were swathed in the heavy black leather of the Organization, though only the tall man in the lead had his hood up to conceal his face. Just behind him walked Demyx, frowning thoughtfully, his blond hair disheveled. Next to him strode a man with long, blue hair and an X-shaped scar between his golden eyes. Saïx was calm and unruffled, as always.

"Do you think the old woman will tell us anything?" asked Demyx.

Saïx quirked a smile that did not touch his eyes. "Of course. Need you ask?"

"Let me rephrase that. You think she knows anything worth telling?"

The hooded figure sighed in exasperation. "You'd think that by now you'd know better than to question me." His voice was soft and raspy, but although his appearance suggested a deep rumble might be more appropriate, the grating sound actually masked a tenor voice. "She's one of the last left alive who know the secrets of the Seekers of Wisdom. She isn't a Seeker herself, but she knows things that we can use. Now, bite your tongue before I cut it out."

Demyx's eyes flashed at the other man's back, and he clenched a black-gloved fist. He opened his mouth to speak, but apparently thought better of it. Still, he growled wordlessly and filed away a retort for some future date.

The house grew closer, and the hooded man strode forward, stopping a couple feet away from the door. He gestured to it with his own gloved hand. ". "Saïx, you do the talking."

"Of course, Darkside." Saïx walked up to the door and rapped on it sharply.

"Who is it?" called a wavery female voice. "Kairi, is that you?"

Saïx grinned, showing his teeth as the old woman opened the door. She stepped back with a gasp, her hand flying to cover his mouth. The tall man flashed his golden eyes at her. "I'm afraid we haven't seen her, but we would be delighted to learn where she is. Why don't you let us in to have a little chat?"

Saïx caught the door as the woman tried to slam it, then flung it open for Darkside to enter. He looked back. "Demyx, are you going to join us or not?"

Demyx tore himself away from eyeing the tree in the front yard, its branches bowed with a ripe, star-shaped fruit. "Sure, it's just…"

"All in good time. The paopu can wait until we know more of its secrets."

Demyx grinned at the yellow rind of the fruit in front of him. "Once we get some answers out of the old lady, yes. And once I get a chance to do a bit of experimentation." He let his eyelids droop shut momentarily, almost feeling the flow of the nearby ocean surf, then opened his eyes again and hurried to follow his colleagues into the house.

"Now," Darkside was saying, "tell us about the Seekers, and we might just be able to reunite you with your beloved family."

"You have Kairi?" Her eyes flashed. "I thought you said you didn't know where she was."

Teeth were bared from the depths of the dark leather hood. "Not yet, we don't, but I'm sure that will change shortly…and then we'll see about a nice little reunion. Who knows? We might even be able to get an invitation to your dear son."

Kairi's grandmother covered her mouth. "Ansem's dead."

Saïx shrugged. "Perhaps. We have reason to believe that part of his heart lives on. And that's where you come in…we need the Seekers' research."

She shook her head decisively. "And just who do you think you are?"

Demyx grinned, leaning against the kitchen cabinets. "Organization Thirteen, at your service. And we want to know what _you_ know about the Seekers, and their research into the nature, manipulation, and…restoration of hearts."

Darkside leaned forward so she could almost see inside of his hood. The elderly woman frowned uneasily.

"Ha - memory stirs! But try as you might, you won't be able to bring it to the surface. Come on…why don't we go for a walk?" Darkside gestured to Demyx, then stalked outside, followed by Saïx.

Demyx hauled Kairi's grandmother up by one arm. "Sorry, lady." He grinned. "But we need whatever knowledge you got." With that, he marched her out of the peaceful little house and out into the fading afternoon light.

As they passed the old paopu tree in the front yard, the woman reached out and snatched one of the ripe fruits hanging from a low branch. With a gentle snap of the stem, she quickly concealed it in her apron and hurried along next to her captor.

* * *

_I can't really say when the next chapter will be up, especially since I'm trying to make sure things get beta read before posting, but I'll try to get to work on it soon and not let the story languish for months again. Huge thanks to all my readers - a large part of the reason I do this is for you! I try not to be too hung up on reviews, but I can't deny that getting that little review alert in my inbox tends to brighten my day by just that much more. Thanks again, and keep reading...more mysteries are starting to come to light!_


	20. Into the World of Twilight

**_The Road to Dawn_**  
_By Ariana Aislinn_  
_Chapter 20: Into the World of Twilight_

_This chapter is up pretty quickly for two reasons. One, I had two snow days in a row and didn't have to go in to work, and two, I was impatient and didn't wait for one of my beta readers to be available to check it over. :P However, I **am** pretty happy with it, and I read it over to check for mistakes and I don't think I see any. (crosses fingers) So I hope there won't be any problems, but as always, please let me know if you have any suggestions!_

_Standard disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts and its characters are the property of Square-Enix and Disney, not me._

* * *

The two figures tumbled out of the swirling vortex into a wide entry hall. The mist in front of Kairi's eyes that Roxas had called a _duskcloak_ seemed to fall away, dissolving into the dust that covered the floor. Kairi shook her head and blinked, taking in the sight of dust-covered debris, broken statues, and damaged pillars. In front of her, a wide stairway rose up to the second floor of the building, and straight ahead was a large, glass window, through which sunlight streamed, forming hazy beams of light in the dust-strewn air of the mansion.

A black-gloved hand reached out to Kairi, and she blinked dazedly at the man standing before her. He was tall, very tall, and wrapped in red and black robes with strange symbols on them. His face was swathed in crimson bandages so she could not make out his features, except for two glowing, golden eyes that seemed oddly familiar. She shivered slightly, but she took the proffered hand and climbed to her feet. The man released her, placing his hand on her shoulder to help her steady herself, then turned to Kairi's companion, who had already gotten to his feet and was dusting himself off. "Were there any problems, Roxas?"

The kid shook his head. "Nope. Thanks for keeping the portal open for us, DiZ. Hopefully we're safe from Darkside now…even if he can guess where we've gone, he'll have a hard enough time getting to us here."

The older man nodded. "I certainly hope so. Remember, though, it is just as imperative that you continue to evade their grasp as it is for Kairi." He turned to Kairi then, and she took an involuntary step back. He seemed to take no offense, however, and carefully took Kairi's hand, bowing over it slightly. "Greetings, Kairi. It is a pleasure to see you again."

She furrowed her brow, perplexed. "…Again?"

The man chuckled, releasing her hand and straightening. "You would not remember, of course. Please, call me DiZ, and welcome to my home."

Kairi surveyed the room doubtfully. "You live here?"

Roxas laughed, clasping his hands behind his head. "Doesn't look like much, does it? DiZ finds it useful if people think the place is abandoned, so he hasn't cleaned up since the attack."

"Attack?"

"Now, now, Roxas. Please don't confuse our guest. There are many tales for you to hear, Kairi, and many of them are quite long and complicated, but there is no need to begin just yet. The important thing is that you and Roxas are safe, for now."

Kairi took a deep breath, steadying herself and trying to stabilize the thoughts that tumbled chaotically through her head. "So, you brought me here to keep me safe from the Organization, right? Where am I, exactly?"

"You're in Twilight Town, my hometown," Roxas told her. "You might call it the central world in the Twilight World."

"Twilight World…?"

Roxas laughed. "Sorry, like DiZ said, there's a lot to explain. First let's get you settled. I think DiZ has had a room cleaned up for you on the second floor. It'll do for a little while, at least. DiZ, should I take her up there?"

The other man nodded. "If you would. When you are properly settled, Kairi, I would like you to rejoin me in the banquet hall. There is much to discuss, and although I would prefer to give you time to relax, it is time we do not have." He turned to the blond boy. "After showing Kairi to her room, you'd better head home, Roxas. I'd prefer your friends didn't come looking for you here."

"Gotcha. Don't want anyone snooping around the mansion, I know." Roxas nodded. "This way, Kairi!"

He took her hand, pulling her along toward the stairs. Kairi glanced back at DiZ, who merely nodded benignly and stood in the middle of the entry hall, composed and patient. With a shrug, Kairi turned and followed Roxas, allowing him to lead her upstairs.

"Don't let DiZ bother you," Roxas was saying. "He's a mysterious guy, but he's very wise, and he's on our side."

Kairi frowned. "Forgive me, but I'm not even positive that _you're_ on my side. After all, you did say Axel sent you."

To her mild surprise, he laughed. "Yeah, it would be a little hard to trust me, wouldn't it?" He turned his head to smile warmly at her. "But we've got reason to be friends. We met once, long ago. I was too young to remember much, but I do remember you were very small yourself, and very scared. I remember wishing I could figure out a way to make you feel braver. You don't remember it - it's one of the things that must have been erased, I'm guessing. Besides, it's hard to remember things when you're that young. Just trust me that you've been here before, and despite all that happened back then, we're both working for the same thing - the protection of all the worlds, and the return of the Light."

Kairi nodded slowly. "I guess I'll take your word for it. There's just…so much to take in."

Roxas shrugged, reaching the top of the stairs and leading her down a hallway. "Yeah, I know. Don't worry, DiZ will explain it to you when you're ready. You won't be here forever, but while you are here, we're hoping you can learn some of the things that DiZ knows. He'll help you with your magic, too."

"Oh yeah, magic." Kairi sighed. "There's just…so much left to learn! I've barely started, and I can't really do anything at all yet." She chewed her lip. "Axel wanted me to learn magic, too."

"Yeah, Axel…" Roxas sighed as well. "That's a subject I'm not even going to try to get into. Hopefully DiZ will be able to explain it better than I will. Let's just say that I think in this case, Axel's right about your magic…but you'd be wise to take everything he says and does with a grain of salt. You'll see why, eventually." He brightened. "Here we are, your room." He pushed open a door just a little way down the hall, leading Kairi inside. The curtains were pushed back and the window was open slightly, letting in some fresh air. The place had been given a good dusting, and it appeared to have been swept. Fresh linens were on the bed, and a soft, clean rug had been placed on the hardwood floor. Dust still lingered on some surfaces and floated in the air, but it was obvious her host had done the best he could. "If it's all right, DiZ would like you to join him for meals. There's nothing fancy, I'm afraid - he doesn't have any servants anymore. I run errands for him now and then, getting groceries and the like, but we have to be careful to avoid suspicion."

Kairi sat on the bed. "Why doesn't he have any servants? And why doesn't he want anyone to know he lives here?"

Roxas sighed, scrubbing his spiky hair with one hand. "Well…DiZ probably won't tell you any of this himself, and I'm not sure he'd want me to tell you, but let's just say that something happened here, long ago. Twilight Town was nearly destroyed, and although it's mostly recovered since then, DiZ still feels responsible for letting it happen. Most people at the time thought he died in the attack. In fact, he nearly did. We've carried on without him, but while the town recovered, he's been secretly studying and exploring, using his knowledge and his magic to find out exactly what happened here. He knows a lot, and he intends to put it right. He's taught me to use my own powers, and he's helped me deal with my own…uh…" Roxas shrugged. "It's hard to explain, but something happened to me in the attack, something bad. Not an injury, but DiZ helps me keep it under control, at the same time that he helps me with my powers. I've been using those powers to help him, to visit other worlds and find stuff out for him."

"But…who _is_ DiZ, then?"

"Oh! Didn't I say?" Roxas grinned. "DiZ used to be our king, back when we were attacked. Now that everyone thinks he's dead, we have a mayor - my friend Olette's dad. But the king of Twilight Town traditionally has access to all our ancient secrets and history, and that's been lost to most of us now. Most people here just try to get from one day to the next, now, and they keep to themselves, pretty much. Not me." He shook his head. "I want to do something to help. So that's one of the reasons I work for DiZ."

Kairi rubbed her temples. "Why does he call himself DiZ? That seems a pretty strange name."

Roxas shrugged. "Eh, a couple reasons. I've been coming around here since I was a kid, when I first saw someone's shadow moving around upstairs. DiZ befriended me and started to teach me, but I was still pretty young and not good at watching my tongue. He gave me the name DiZ instead of his real name, in case I accidentally let slip where I was. I did a couple of times, but my parents thought it was some kind of game or imaginary friend, and they ignored it. They ignored a lot of things in those days." He sighed, then brightened again, shoving his hands in his pockets and rocking on his heels. "Anyway, I also think DiZ changed his name to separate himself from the leader who failed to protect his people in the attack. Back then he was known as Lord Dumos il Zenden."

Kairi nodded with a faint smile. "I know someone with a similar problem. He changed his name too, and for much the same reason. But…" She frowned at Roxas. "You're telling me an awful lot for someone you just met."

"Heh, I guess I am." Roxas shrugged again. "But like I said…I guess I feel like it's okay because I remember you from when we met before, even though we were really little. And…I'll be honest, you're the first person I've ever been able to tell the truth since I met DiZ." He looked at her sadly with those bright blue eyes. "I've never been able to tell anyone else about DiZ, or what I remembered from the attack - no one wanted to talk about it. I guess I'm just hoping that we can be friends, because I have friends, sure, but no one I can tell everything to. You know, everything, not holding anything back." He laughed. "Not that you're ready to hear everything yet, and I'm sure you're sick of me talking your ear off. Look, I gotta go anyway. I'm supposed to meet my friends for lunch, and they're going to wonder if I'm late again."

"But wait!" Kairi protested as he started to turn toward the door. She reached out a hand as if to grab his shirt and stop him. "There's still so many questions I have left to ask…"

Roxas turned to grin at her. "All in good time. Like I said, DiZ will answer a lot of them for you, and he'll be better at it than me, trust me. Besides, I'll be back!" He reached over and squeezed her hand, then headed to the door. "Take care, Kairi…and don't worry. You're with friends now. Even if you don't believe anything else I've said, believe that, would ya?" He gave her a casual salute of sorts and walked out the door, waving back at her. "See ya later!"

Kairi watched him walk down the hall, then fell backward with a sigh. Her head hit the pillow with a _thwump_, sending a thin billow of dust into the air. She wrinkled her nose and sneezed slightly.

Well, there was one good thing about being here, even if there did seem to be way too much information for her to process and take in. If what Roxas said was true, Kairi would be able to learn what she needed to know in order to take action and help her friends. _I want to do something to help Sora and the others. I want to make a difference,_ she sighed inwardly to herself. She set her mouth in a determined line. _This time, I'll fight. I won't sit idly by and watch everything I love be torn away from me. I'm going to protect what's important._

* * *

_I know this chapter is a bit short, but that's because I started writing it and it ending up getting so very long, I split it into two. Chapter 21 will be up very shortly because of this. I'm breaking formula and not jumping to a new character every two chapters. My choice of characters for each chapter will be much more plot-based from now on, because I know exactly how it's all going to play out from here till the end of the story. That doesn't mean we're anywhere near the end, though! Another thing - I realize that Roxas here is quite a bit different than he was in KH2. If you'll recall, I'm making this story very much AU, using CoM as a jumping off point, and sometimes the characters change into something radically different, whether I intended it or not. Anyway, next chapter will be up quite soon. In the meantime, read, review, enjoy!_


	21. The Four Worlds

**_The Road to Dawn_**  
_By Ariana Aislinn_  
_Chapter 21: The Four Worlds_

_I told you this chapter would be up quickly. Many thanks to Perhelediel for doing an emergency beta-read for me!_

_Standard disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts and its characters are the property of Square-Enix and Disney, not me._

* * *

That evening, Kairi walked hesitantly downstairs to the entry hall. On one side of the hall, a previously shut set of double doors was now wide open, inviting her to enter the large room beyond. Kairi stuck her head tentatively in the door, looking around doubtfully. This room, apparently once a banquet hall, was just as dilapidated as the rest of the mansion, if not more so. The long dining table lay collapsed on the floor, and in the middle of the debris sat a fallen chandelier. Dust covered everything, and the sunset filtered in through window panes that were grimy with age.

Off in one corner sat two high-backed chairs with faded red velvet upholstery. A small, collapsible table had been set up between them, and DiZ sat in one chair, beckoning to Kairi. On the table sat two plates, each covered with a cloth, and two crystal glasses filled with ice water.

Kairi slid into the unoccupied chair, nodding nervously in greeting to DiZ. He smiled through his bandages. "Please, make yourself at home, Kairi. Thank you for joining me this evening.

Kairi eyed him curiously out of the corner of her eye, trying not to stare too much. Such a strange man…had he really once been this world's king? Why did he wear such a strange costume? And what was with the bandages…possibly to hide an old scar from the battles Roxas had told her of?

DiZ gestured to her plate, as he removed the cloth from his own. "Please, eat. I'm afraid it is humble fare, but it is good nonetheless."

Kairi uncovered her own dinner, sniffing at a bowl of soup in fine but chipped china. It smelled of beef and vegetables, and the bread appeared to be freshly baked. There was some sort of soft, spreadable cheese, as well as a small dish of fruit salad. Kairi closed her eyes briefly, resting her arms on the table, one hand over the other, and murmured a soft blessing to herself. She then opened her eyes and picked up her spoon, tasting the soup before her. She managed a smile at DiZ. "You're right, it's quite good."

DiZ seemed to relax marginally, though it was difficult to tell behind his red mask of bandages. He took a bite of his own dinner. "So, Kairi. Is your room to your liking? I know it isn't much, but I hope you'll be comfortable for the brief time you'll be here."

"It's fine," Kairi nodded. "Um…how long _will_ I be here?"

DiZ shrugged. "I am not precisely sure." His voice was refined, each word carefully measured and spoken with perfect diction. "While you are here, there is much you must learn, and preparations must be made before you may continue on to your next destination. Even so, it should not be very long, because although there is much to do, time does grow short."

Kairi picked at her salad a little bit, resting her cheek on one fist with her elbow propped against the table. She was a bit too preoccupied to realize her manners were not the best. "You talk as if you know exactly what I should be doing and where I should be going, but I don't see just what I can do to help."

"Ah, but I must admit that even I do not know exactly what the future holds." DiZ quirked a smile behind the bandages. Around his mouth and eyes, the bandages gapped to show his deeply tanned skin. "I do know, however, of people who can help you, and you will likely want to meet these people soon. I also have knowledge that will help you develop your magic, as Axel would like you to do."

Kairi narrowed her eyes. "I'm not sure I want to do anything Axel wants."

DiZ sighed. "I understand your reservations, but in this case I believe Axel's request is wise. I ask you to consider studying with me. It is what you want, is it not? It would give you the power to help your friends and to complete your mission…and it is power that is rightfully yours, both because of your birthright and your status as a princess of heart."

"Oh. You know about that, huh?" DiZ nodded, and Kairi sighed. "By birthright…do you mean the Seekers? My Gran was talking about them. I guess I have some Seeker heritage."

DiZ nodded. "Indeed you do…more than you likely realize. You already have some powers, though you have not learned to use them to full effect. By chance you were born as a princess of heart, and you will have to discover on your own what that means for you, and what powers and responsibilities come with it. I cannot help you there. You are also a daughter of the Seeker line, however. In this, I may be able to pass on some knowledge to help you, as I am a Seeker myself."

Kairi's eyes widened, and her spoon halted on its way to her mouth. "You _are?_"

The man chuckled. "Yes, indeed. Traditionally, the ruler of Twilight Town is descended from the Seekers and carries many of their skills and secrets. Some have been lost, sadly, and many are of limited use to me in my current situation…but there is likely much I can teach you. For example…Roxas said you were able to obtain three Seeker books?"

Kairi nodded, recovering slightly from her surprise. "I found an old, hidden library in Castle Oblivion. I guess the books were written by Seekers."

"A distinct possibility. I have heard that long ago, Castle Oblivion may have been built by Seekers of Wisdom, though it has been hundreds of years since their kind occupied that stronghold."

"But…oh!" Kairi covered her mouth with her hand. "What happened to the books? I had them when we came through that vortex, but then…"

DiZ chuckled again. "Worry not. You dropped them when you emerged, but I have them right here." He reached within one of the heavy, leather pouches that hung from his robes and produced a volume. "_The Four Worlds._ I have the other two here, as well, although I would prefer not to open them where they might be damaged by a stray bit a soup." He carefully tucked the book away again.

"But…what _are_ they?"

"Ah. I have not had a chance to look them over in great detail, but the three you brought me are entitled _The Four Worlds, The Rise of Darkness,_ and _Paosurala._ Let us first consider _The Four Worlds._" DiZ paused to take a few bites of his fruit salad. "You know there are many worlds besides your own, and it is possible to travel between them if one has the right tools. The barriers were partially restored, but now they are being breached once more, as holes are forming and growing, spurred on by the spread of darkness. This spread cannot be stopped until the Door to Light is opened."

Kairi nodded. "Oh. So that's why not everyone returned to their home worlds, maybe…?"

"Forgive me, I do not know all the details, but yes. That would indeed make sense. People might become trapped on different worlds, and the barriers may protect the worlds from darkness for a time, but they are being worn away. As long as there is any darkness in your universe, this cannot be prevented. Which brings us to the idea of a _universe_ - a collection of worlds that are all tied together in some way." He smiled. "Your universe is known by its inhabitants merely as "the world," or perhaps "the present world." We of other universes call it the 'World of Heroes.'"

"World of Heroes?"

"Yes, and you shall see why. There are three more worlds, however, and two you already know of - the World of Darkness, and the World of Light. Your friend Riku was trapped in the World of Darkness for a time."

Kairi felt a pit form in her stomach, and her heart seemed to drop into it. "Riku…in the World of Darkness?" she whispered. "When did this happen?"

"Right after you were separated from your friend Sora, if I understand the story right. You must forgive me, I was only able to gather bits and pieces in Castle Oblivion, as I watched Sora make his way through the stronghold, and during my brief conversations with Riku. You need not fear; he soon broke free of that world, though it was not easy for him."

Kairi wrapped her arms around herself, shuddering. "Good. I'm glad…but then…how is Riku? Is he still…" she swallowed… "is he still…well, Riku?"

DiZ smiled. "Perhaps not as you know him, but if you mean, was he consumed by the darkness…" DiZ shook his head. "Whatever depths he had sunk to, he has begun to climb out of them. However, it will be a long, slow, difficult journey. He has made great progress, and I believe the boy you knew as a child is still there, but it will take time for that boy to return. I must leave it there, however. Riku's tale, from this point on, is really not mine to tell, it is his."

Kairi nodded slowly. "I…guess I understand. Sort of. But…well, the important thing is that Riku's okay, right?"

DiZ did not answer, merely fixed her with a benign, noncommittal look.

Kairi sighed. "Okay, so…the World of Heroes, the World of Darkness…and the World of Light?"

DiZ nodded. "Just as the World of Darkness could not be reached without opening the Door to Darkness, the World of Light must be entered through the Door to Light. It has been prophesied that only the bearer of the Keyblade can open that door - specifically, the Keyblade from your world."

"My world?"

"Yes. Just as there are four worlds, there are four Keyblades, one for each."

Kairi frowned thoughtfully, munching on a piece of bread. "So…what's the fourth world, then?"

"Ahh." DiZ smiled. "You are here now! Twilight Town is the center and capital of the Twilight World, the world that is halfway between light and dark…the shadow world. It is not just another world, it is a separate universe from yours, and although it is not so difficult to enter as the Worlds of Light and Darkness, you can see why you are relatively safe here. It takes special powers to cross into this world, and unless one can use the power of twilight, those powers must be very strong. I was able to bring you here using my power, but Darkside and his minions will not be able to follow so easily."

"So that's why you thought this would be a safe place for me, right?" DiZ nodded, and Kairi toyed with her spoon thoughtfully. "In that case, what about the Keyblades?"

"Ah, yes. You already know that Sora carries the Keyblade of your world. There is another you may not have seen, as you were separated from Sora and his friends before it was revealed. When you were carried off to the Destiny Islands, Sora and Riku were left at the End of the World, facing each other from opposite sides of the open Door to Darkness. Within the Dark Realm, King Mickey had obtained the Keyblade of that world. Only with both Keyblades were they able to seal that door and prevent the rush of darkness from engulfing everything in your world. Riku and King Mickey were trapped on one side of the door, Sora on the other, but your universe was safe once more - at least, for a time."

Kairi hung her head. "So…that's what happened." She sighed. "Nothing ever seems easy for the three of us."

"Perhaps not, but there is no reason to lose all hope. As I said, Riku was able to break free of that world, and King Mickey soon followed him. Sora was returned to a random place within your universe and had the ill fortune to land on Crossroads, the world that is home to both the city of Gateway and to Castle Oblivion. It was there that I encountered him, and although we never spoke, I watched much of his journey through the castle."

"And…what happened to him there?" Kairi leaned forward, an intense look in her eyes. Without realizing it, she gripped her spoon tightly.

DiZ shook his head. "My knowledge of his journey does have gaps in it, and again, it is his story to tell, not mine."

"Roxas said he was a prisoner of the Organization. Sort of."

"In a sense. They tried to put him under their control, but ultimately they failed. He did not emerge unscathed, however. He required some help to escape from Castle Oblivion and continue on his journey."

"Did Roxas help him?"

DiZ quirked a smile. "No, the two Keyblade masters have never met."

Kairi blinked. "The…wait, what? Roxas is a Keyblade master, too? Then…does he have the Key of Twilight?"

DiZ rubbed his temples. "I can see I am getting ahead of myself. As much as you wish to discuss your friend Sora, there is only so much I can tell you. Please allow me to continue on."

Kairi settled back, relaxing muscles she hadn't realized were tensed, and forced herself to take a deep breath. "Go on."

"Thank you. Now, let me see…where was I?" DiZ frowned thoughtfully. "Ah yes, the Keyblades. After the Door to Darkness was sealed, two Keyblades and two Keyblade masters had made themselves known. Two more remain to be revealed - the Key of Light and the Key of Twilight. I do not know precisely who will hold them, but I have my suspicions."

"Who is it, then?"

He smiled enigmatically. "We shall simply have to see, won't we?"

Kairi glared at him.

"Relax, Kairi." DiZ laughed. "I hold back what I suspect for good reason. Now, there is much you must know of the nature of this world. The realms of Twilight are different from the others, and are also known as the Lands Between. We are the shadow world, a shadow or a reflection of much that occurs in your world. It is not so simple as that, but sometimes you will find that a resident of this world is a shadow of someone from your own."

Kairi's eyes widened. "A shadow…or a reflection? So that's why…Roxas must be Sora's shadow!"

"Ahh, you have very good insight, I can see. It is not so simple, however. It is my belief that Roxas is not simply Sora's shadow, but rather a shadow of two people, two young men bound by close ties of friendship. Roxas is the shadow of both Sora and Riku."

Kairi turned this idea over in her head for a moment, and after a while she had to agree that it made sense. Roxas was cheerful and friendly, like Sora, but he had an irreverent, sarcastic streak she had seen in some of his gestures and expressions that was much more like Riku. His appearance reminded her mostly of Sora, with those deep blue eyes and spiky hair, but the pale blond color seemed halfway between Sora's brown hair and Riku's silver locks, and his smile alternated between Sora's goofy confidence and Riku's sardonic cockiness. She didn't know him well enough yet to say more, but she could see why DiZ thought this must be the case. "So…" She frowned. "What does that mean, then?"

DiZ shrugged. "I don't yet know the answer to that, but it does explain why Roxas is able to wield a Keyblade. It only happened once, but he was able to call Sora's Keyblade to him while Sora was asleep, recovering from the effects of his journey through Castle Oblivion. Roxas quickly returned it to him, but he and I had a conversation that lasted well into the night about it. I think he was quite shaken."

"I would be, too. So…what does all this mean?"

"I don't yet know, but I think perhaps you will be able to help me find more pieces to the puzzle, Kairi."

Kairi sighed as she finished scraping up the last dregs of soup in her bowl with her spoon. "Okay…what about _The Rise of Darkness,_ then?"

DiZ smiled, removing the book from its leather pouch. He flipped it open and carefully turned the pages until he came to the passage he was looking for, then began to read aloud in his smooth, measured voice.

_"Many aeons ago, the four worlds were one, and the many smaller worlds within that universe were connected, so that one could easily travel between them. The light ruled then, and all worlds were blessed by its warmth. Eventually, however, a seed of darkness grew in people's hearts, and although there was plenty of light to go around, people began to worry that there might not be enough. They began to hoard the light, to fight over it. The first wars were fought, and darkness bloomed across the worlds. The light was chased out, obscured, hidden, damaged, and exiled. Darkness covered everything, and many people thought the light had been forever destroyed, but this was not the case. It still lived on in scattered, isolated pockets._

_"Darkness ruled the universe for a time, until the day came when a new generation rediscovered that precious commodity, hope. This generation produced many heroes, who sought out the surviving fragments of light and gathered them together. There was not much light, but it was enough to restore warmth again to the worlds. Those worlds were disconnected now, with impassable barriers between them. There were cracks in those barriers, but the light was able to cover them so that they became protective walls, keeping out the leftover darkness that might still one day return, if care were not taken to guard against it._

_"This combination of light and dark produced another universe, the world of shadows, called the Twilight World. Little is known of it, but even less is known of the other two universes - the World of Light and the World of Darkness. Some say the true light, driven out in the Wars of Darkness, sleeps within the World of Light, and when hope was reborn and light was restored to the worlds, the darkness that was chased out formed the World of Darkness. No one really knows for certain if this is the truth, but it is said that these two worlds may be entered using special doors, which will only appear at certain times and under certain circumstances._

_"That new generation, the one that restored hope and light to our world, is said to have produced the founding members of the Seekers of Wisdom. Our order owes its beginnings to these early saviors of our universe._

"This is only the prologue. It is a long book, filled with much about the origins of the Seekers and their early research into the nature of Light and Darkness, but perhaps that will give you an idea of its contents…Kairi? Kairi, what is the matter?"

Kairi was staring off into space. She shook her head, meeting DiZ's golden eyes. "Sorry. It's just that…I know this story! Not in those words, but my grandmother told it to me, long ago. It's…a memory that was buried very deeply. I'd completely forgotten it, until…well, it's a long story. I think it was Sora who helped me remember it."

DiZ smiled. "It is quite likely, since your grandmother was also of the Seeker line. It's very possible that she passed on some of those legends to you."

Kairi nodded. "She said…that the true light sleeps in darkness, but someday a door will open in that darkness, and the door will actually lead to the true light. She said I could use that light in times of trouble, if I believed in it. She said that even in the deepest darkness, my heart would hold onto that light."

"I think your grandmother was right…all the more so because you are a princess of heart. Light has a strong hold on your heart, stronger than in most other people. You have a hidden power to call that light, and to use it to defeat the darkness. This is what I told you of earlier, the power I cannot help you learn. I know you will discover it yourself someday soon, though."

"But…how can I do that?"

He gave her that enigmatic smile again. "I am not entirely sure, but I believe I can introduce you to someone who may be able to help you. It will not be long before the time for that meeting comes, so we must do as much as we can in the days ahead to help you learn Seeker magic."

"Seeker magic?" Kairi knew she was asking a great many questions, but she didn't care. Finally, she was starting to get some answers, even if she couldn't always understand their true meaning.

"The elemental magic you have begun to tap. The Seekers of Wisdom used elemental magic as the basis for their power, then used that magic as a tool to create a complex system of magical arts. That is what the third book is about…_Paosurala_. This is an ancient Seeker word that means 'star magic'."

"Star magic…is that another element?"

DiZ shook his head. "No, it is more a matter of how the Seekers used the elements. They discovered a special kind of magic using certain numbers. Star magic was the technique of creating powerful magic from the strategic use of the number five. The symbol for this was a five-pointed star, just as you saw on the cover of the book. The star has multiple meanings - the endless line that can be traced from any point, all the way around to the starting point again, represents fidelity and faithfulness. The Seekers wished to be faithful to their ideals, and to the people they protected with their magic. Each of the points represented a different ideal, as well, and each of these five ideals is, again, fivefold in nature."

Kairi watched with renewed interest as DiZ traced a star shape on the table with his gloved index finger. He touched the table again at each place where a point of the star would be. "This point," he said, "represents a strong, true perception of the world around us, free from falsehood and illusion. It is fivefold in that the ideal requires one to have true perception in all five senses. This next one represents the physical skill and dexterity needed to accomplish one's duty - represented by five fingers. The third represents dedication to five causes - the restoration and preservation of light, the value of friendship, the importance of keeping promises, the necessity of protecting what is important to us, and the blessing of redemption and forgiveness for those who have strayed. Fourth, each of us must draw our strength from five sources - ourselves, our families, our friends, our mentors, and those under our own protection. Finally -" he stabbed the fifth invisible point with his finger - "we must be dedicated to the five virtues of generosity, friendship, faithfulness, courtesy, and compassion, as the legendary knights and warriors of olden days were said to be." He smiled at Kairi, who was looking rather dazed. "I know it is a great deal of information, but I feel it helps us to understand what the Seekers were originally after. Much of their way has been lost, but in the beginning, they were devoted to restoring the light and to returning peace and harmony to the worlds."

Kairi was silent for a while, munching on the remains of her bread. Finally she polished off the slice and stared at her empty plate. "So…is star magic something you can teach me?"

DiZ shook his head. "No, it has been largely lost in time. I'm afraid that much of this book is damaged, and a great deal of what survives is written in an ancient language of the Seekers that I cannot make out. However, I suspect that such magic is still out there, and it will behoove you to know what it is when you see it, at the very least. You may wish to flip through these books on your own later, but I am not certain you will learn anything of use that I have not already explained. I believe it is far better if we use our time in practical lessons with your magic."

Kairi nodded. "Should we start tomorrow, then?"

"I believe so. I have an errand for Roxas to perform, which should take him most of a day or two. Depending on the news he brings me, we may have only a few days in which to work, so we should make the best use possible of our time. In fact…" He smiled. "It is still quite early. If you are not too tired, we could begin tonight…?"

Kairi straightened in sudden relief. "That's a great idea. I think if I do much more talking and thinking, my head is going to explode. I need to _do_ something."

DiZ laughed. "Well then, there is plenty of room in here. Let's move away from the table…" They both stood and walked toward the center of the room. DiZ flicked his fingers, and a small, round ball of fire flew from his hand and circled the chandelier in the center of the broken table. Its candles came to life, illuminating the room, which had darkened as the sun's light faded. "Our first task is to determine your elemental affinity."

Kairi grinned. "Actually, I'm ahead of you there. Gran did that for me." She smiled wistfully, hoping her grandmother was well. "Let me think…well, we figured out that I have a tiny bit of ability with water, and I'm pretty good with reflection, but I think it's plants and healing that really seem to like me."

DiZ raised his eyebrows in surprise - an expression that was difficult to see behind the bandages, but Kairi could make out his eyes widening slightly. "Ahh! That certainly makes things easier. Well now, it is best to start with your strengths. We will need a focus for each ability we attempt to strengthen, but I think we can find plenty of appropriate subjects somewhere on the grounds. Let's start in here." He gestured across the room to a dim, grimy corner, then led the way over to it. At the back of a pile of debris stood a tall, rectangular object, covered with a sheet. He pulled the sheet away, brightening. "Ah, here we are! A good, tall mirror should be perfect for helping us to focus on reflection magic. Let us start there."

First DiZ demonstrated by firing simple spells at the mirror and showing Kairi how they bounced off. Strengthening the spells caused them to affect the mirror - fire spells melted shallow dents in the glass, for example. "To continue to shield the mirror, we must strengthen it with a reflect spell. A reflect spell can bounce back minor spells from most objects."

They continued to work on this, with DiZ showing Kairi how to sense the feel of the mirror and to draw on that feeling as she found the power within her. Combining the power with the sense of the mirror resulted in a simple reflection spell. She couldn't help but clap her hands with glee the first time she managed it successfully, but DiZ cautioned her to be patient. They practiced for several hours, simply creating and dismissing reflection spells, gradually increasing their strength as they went on. Finally DiZ called a halt to the lesson, pointing out that it was quite late, and that Kairi could hardly stand. She was surprised to realize he was right. With a polite good night and a heartfelt thank you for the evening's lesson, she left the dining hall and walked on up the front stairs to her bedroom, yawning heavily.

_I wish I were back on Star Island,_ Kairi thought to herself. _I miss Gran. But at least I'm doing something worthwhile here, and DiZ promised I'd be able to use what I'm learning to help everyone._

Kairi froze as she stood at the top of the stairs, her hand flying to her mouth as her eyes went wide. She'd completely forgotten how Axel found her two days ago. Just before he'd dragged her off into the portal, she'd encountered another member of the Organization…Luxord. What was it he'd said? That there were secrets awaiting them there…and that he'd "take good care of the islands" for her.

A sinking feeling grew in Kairi's stomach. The Organization was going to try to find answers on the Destiny Islands next…but what did that mean? She had a horrible feeling that her family and friends back home were in danger.

Turning on her heel, Kairi ran back down the stairs to tell DiZ of this new worry, cursing herself for not thinking of it before.

* * *

_Yay for the DiZ exposition chapter! Hope it was able to hold your interest. I'm not sure when to expect the next chapter; it probably won't be quite so quick as this one was, but I'm already starting to write it. Gonna try to keep this momentum up over the long weekend!_


	22. Rising Falls

**_The Road to Dawn_**  
_By Ariana Aislinn_  
_Chapter 22: Rising Falls_

_I guess I was wrong. I think there's something wrong with me...three chapters in one day?! Yeesh! Well, enjoy!_

_Standard disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts and its characters are the property of Square-Enix and Disney, not me._

* * *

DiZ was loathe to ask Roxas to go anywhere near the Organization, especially this late at night, when it would have raised questions with the boy's parents. After sending Kairi back upstairs with his reassurances, DiZ formed a portal of twilight in the wall of the banquet hall, stepping through onto the sandy shores of Star Island.

He'd heard of the place, yet had never visited it, so he looked around curiously as he walked silently across the sand toward Kairi's house. He was cloaked in a weak reflection spell, to bend light away from himself and avoid detection.

The lights of the cottage were dark this evening, and there was no sound coming from the house. It was possible Kairi's grandmother was asleep. DiZ frowned, looking around the immediate area. There was a fruit tree in the front yard - he leaned closer to inspect it and raised his eyebrows in surprise. He was sure he had seen this strange, star-shaped fruit before. There was some significance here, if only he could place it…

There were footprints in the sand, leading away from the house and passing near the tree. Though it was hard to tell from the imprecise imprints in the sandy ground, the marks seemed scuffed rather than steady. DiZ eyed the tree again. On one of the lower branches, there was a twig that appeared to have held a fruit not long ago - the fleshy bits of pulp and rind that hung from the branch were still fresh.

DiZ continued back the way he had come, this time following the footprints. They led away from the little house and back toward the beach, right up to the edge of the little wooden dock. Kairi's boat was tied up at the docks, but there was a rope where another boat appeared to have been tied earlier…her grandmother's? DiZ frowned, looking out across the water toward the nearest island.

He could not be bothered with taking the boat, so a twilight portal later he was standing on the docks at Waterfall Island, following yet another set of tracks. It was impossible to tell anything about his quarry in the dry sand, except which direction they had been going. Soon the tracks led to some wooden stairs, however, and then up to an expanse of sandy soil. There appeared to be four sets of footprints here, and they led up to the cliffs next to a small waterfall. A tree stood alongside here, growing out of the cliffside. Underneath its roots there was a darkened hollow, but DiZ could see the faint flicker of torchlight within it. There were voices coming from inside, as well. Stooping down, he peered into the hollow and was just able to see several figures seated on stones inside. Two of them wore familiar black coats, and a third black-coated figure leaned against a wooden door that was inexplicably set into the stone of the cavern.

"Any luck with your search, Demyx?"

The blond man shook his head. "Nah. I looked through the library, but there isn't much. These people don't know anything at all about the Seekers except that they could use magic, and they created a few random artifacts around the islands. They don't remember a thing about their origins, Saïx."

The first speaker shrugged. "I'm not terribly surprised. They're a very provincial society."

"Did you learn anything?"

"Darkside and I have been trying to get the woman to talk, but we've had little luck."

The third man was shrouded in a black hood that hid his features. DiZ shook his head. It was fortunate he had come himself - Roxas was to stay far away from Darkside at all costs. Darkside nodded his head in the direction of the fourth person, a rather plump little old woman who sat defiantly upon a rock, her hands tied behind her back. "Granny here hasn't been especially helpful, no. But she did let slip that the mayor might know something." His voice rasped softly, echoing faintly in the tiny cave. "It couldn't hurt to investigate before we leave. But failing that…we'll have to take more serious action."

"Are we returning to headquarters with the woman, then?" asked Saïx, turning to Darkside as he awaited orders.

"…No, not yet. Even if the mayor has no leads, there's one more thing we can try." Though his face was not visible, DiZ could sense the man's grin. "If we take her with us, the old woman might be as uncooperative as ever. Here, though, we have plenty of…leverage. If we hold the islands and their inhabitants hostage, she might see reason."

Saïx grinned. "Shall I send for a battalion then, Darkside?"

"Why not? By morning we'll have the islands under our control. And then…we'll see just how much you do know about the Seekers of Wisdom, 'Granny.'"

The woman tried not to react, but DiZ heard a small whimper escape her. Stepping quietly away from the cavern's entrance, he began to move quickly back down the beach to what he thought was a safe distance.

The Destiny Islands were indeed in trouble, and although he was glad he had not sent Roxas, DiZ could not handle this alone. However…he thought he knew just the person to help deal with this little problem. Time was shorter than he thought. He would have to send Roxas on his errand early in the morning and hope that he would be back by noon. Kairi's training would have to take precedence as well, for DiZ doubted she would be with them much longer.

* * *

"Sora!" The quack echoed down the stairway of the entrance hall. "Where are you going?"

Sora turned to wave with a grin. "Don't worry, I'm just going for a walk."

Donald frowned, his hands on his hips and his foot tapping. "You shouldn't go too far. We have work to do!"

"I won't. I just need some time by myself. C'mon, Donald, please?"

The duck sighed. "All right, but don't take too long! Goofy and I are going to go search the library some more."

Sora nodded and headed toward the door. He'd had about all he could take of flipping through books, but that was what Aerith and Leon had suggested, to help them figure out where to go next on their search. Besides, Sora really did want to be by himself for a while. He was still trying to muddle through what he'd learned from Leon the other night, and it helped to think without so many others around.

It took some time to make his way past the little groups of refugees, standing here and there on the castle ramparts with lost, sometimes vacant expressions on their faces. Sora thought he actually recognized a few from Traverse Town. What must it be like, to be uprooted yet again from even such a temporary haven as Traverse Town? He shook his head sadly and continued on.

Eventually Sora found himself hopping down the rocky ledges that led to Rising Falls, the strange, gravity-defying wall of water that surrounded Hollow Bastion's south entrance. He took a few bounding leaps from one ledge to the next, exhilarating in the freedom of movement and the rush and roar of water all around him. Down at the bottom, he ran across the water, his sneakers making smacking sounds on the wet surface. It had always seemed that the laws of nature just worked differently in Hollow Bastion. To tell the truth, it was a very interesting feeling to walk across the top of otherwise perfectly ordinary water.

Sora slowed and strolled around the area, casually watching the water roll upwards with his hands clasped behind his head. He sighed softly to himself. To be honest, he was worried about Kairi. He knew she was probably safe and sound on the Destiny Islands, but still…it had been so long since he'd seen her, and after what he'd learned from Leon…

Why had Leon told him so much, anyway? He shook his head. According to Aerith's whispered explanation after Leon had left the room, she'd never heard him say so much about that day before, but perhaps once he'd begun, it had all just spilled out. Sora couldn't help but wonder what else Leon was holding back. He was sure that the young man had seen more on that dark day that Hollow Bastion fell to the Heartless, but Sora certainly wasn't about to press him for details. Leon had told him enough for now - such as the story of Kairi's heritage.

In a way, Sora was almost sorry he'd pushed Leon so hard for the truth. He had to admit, it made him a little uncomfortable to think of Kairi being related to a man who had abandoned everything, _betrayed_ everything, in his search for the darkness. How would Kairi feel when she found out? For that matter, how would she feel when she put two and two together and realized that Sora had actually killed her uncle? Ansem had given his heart to darkness, and Sora wasn't sure Kairi even remembered the man. Still…he was not looking forward to telling her. "And I do have to tell her," he muttered to himself. "It wouldn't be right to keep the truth from Kairi."

He went to the back of the area, underneath the rock ledges, and pressed a hand against the falls. He closed his eyes momentarily, feeling the water roll over his fingers as he ran them along the slick rock beneath.

"Huh? What's this?" Sora felt a deep groove running horizontally across the rock face, and he traced it with his fingers, following it further in, toward the back of the falls.. Here there was a little rock outcropping to stand on, sheltering him from the upward rush of the water. Above jutted another rocky ledge, enclosing him in a little cavern that echoed with the low rumble of water. On the wall here, the groove ended right next to a strange symbol, etched into the wall - a shooting star falling through a crown. Sora eyed it curiously. "Hmm…what is this?" He traced this new symbol with his fingers. Strangely, he felt an odd tingle in his hand. An image flickered at him momentarily, then vanished…a keyhole?

Well, there was an easy answer to that! Sora held out his right hand, and the Keyblade appeared within it. It was a moment's work to aim it at the flickering image of a keyhole, and sure enough, there was a faint _click_, and the image solidified. For a moment, nothing happened, but then Sora could hear a low grinding noise over the waterfall's roar. A crack appeared in the rock face, and slowly a door appeared, swinging outward and exposing a dark cavern beyond.

Sora whistled to himself. "Wonder why no one ever noticed this before?" Ducking his head, he entered the cavern cautiously. As he went, faint blue lamps flickered to life around him.

The room beyond was very small, and lit by more of the blue lights. There were a few racks filled with books, all apparently encased in a clear, solid material of some kind, possibly to protect them from the damp air. Sora picked one up but could see no way to open it, so he put it back on the rack and continued to look around.

There were not actually very many books here, but there were several racks filled with strange, black discs. Sora examined a few, but they seemed utterly featureless - at least, until he held one up near a blue lamp. Then he noticed a faint white glow appearing on the black surface - words! Moving closer to the light, he squinted as he held it up, moving his lips silently to read along with the words that appeared.

"Door…to…" His eyes widened. "Door to Light! Oh, man…how do I use this thing, though? Is it a book?"

There had to be something more here. Gripping the disc tightly in his left hand, Sora traced the walls carefully, frowning in the dim light. Finally his hand found a smooth structure, embedded into the rock wall. It had a glossy, black surface, and there appeared to be a kind of slot in the middle of it. Sora shrugged. "Oh well, guess I might as well give it a try." He carefully slid the disc into the slot in front of him as far as it would go, so that only a section of the rim jutted out from the device.

There was a flicker of light and a hum, and then the rock face in front of Sora, which lacked any kind of shelving and had seemed strangely empty, began to glow. The blue-white glow solidified into coherent words, and Sora leaned in close to read them. They were hard to make out, however, and the style of script was apparently very old and difficult to decipher. Before he could catch more than a few words, the image changed to display a different set of paragraphs.

"Hey, no fair!" he protested, but he did his best to catch as much as he could before it cycled to the next page.

It took a long time for the disc to run through its stored records, and although Sora wasn't able to get much from it, what he did learn caused his heart to beat faster.

It seemed that there were actually _four_ Keyblades, one for each of the four worlds. Exactly what these four worlds were he didn't know, but he knew there must be two more Keyblades out there besides his and the one King Mickey had obtained. There was a great deal about the Keyblades and who could use them, but those details scrolled by too quickly for him to catch. "Who reads this fast?" Sora muttered to himself. Still, he learned enough to know that all Keyblades were closely connected to both the light and the dark, and they could lock or unlock both.

There were several ways to open or seal the Door to Darkness, some of which Sora already knew, of course. Opening the Door to Light, however, would be much harder. There was a great deal of information here. Apparently, the Door to Light could only be created in conjunction with a strong outpouring of light, both from the Keyblades and from their bearers' hearts. Additionally, the location mattered a great deal. The Door to Darkness could only be created in a few places scattered throughout the worlds, but the Door to Light had only one possible location. The disc was nonspecific as to where, but apparently the Seekers had long ago found this world and built a protective stronghold there.

The Keyblade bearers would need help. A supportive coterie was also required, with the ability to add to and concentrate the outpouring of light all around them. Whoever formed this coterie, they would have to be very special people, with exceptionally pure hearts. Sora blinked when he read this. "The princesses!" he whispered to himself.

There was more about these pure hearts and their connection to the Keyblade bearers…especially the Keyblade of Light. Sora frowned at this. If that was so, what Keyblade did he have? Not the Key of Light, apparently, for it required a special and difficult process to obtain. In fact, to all appearances, the bearer of this Keyblade must be a very special person too, with one of the purest hearts…

"Of course! Kairi!" Sora was rather surprised he hadn't seen it before. He read on eagerly, catching as many details as possible. The Keybearer of Light could not obtain the Keyblade by herself; it would not simply come to her as Sora's had come to him. The words scrolled by quickly, but Sora was fairly confident that he had caught the most important details - he had to, because he would need to pass this information on to Kairi.

While Sora tried to cement this information in his mind, he lost the flow of several more pages filled with details about the other keys. Muttering to himself, he tried to find his place and realized the disc was scrolling past information about the fourth Keyblade now - the Key of Twilight. He couldn't make out who might be able to hold this Keyblade, or how it could be obtained, but one thing did stand out - the World of Twilight, which could only be reached using extraordinary powers. The power of twilight itself was one of these, and the power of a Keyblade was another.

Sora was unable to gather much more information from the disc before it stopped. It had not come to the end; rather, the mechanism made a sputtering, grinding noise, and the words blinked off the wall. "Hey!" Sora protested, pounding on the rock with his fist. "Come on, bring it back! I need to see this again!"

Unfortunately, the disc did not respond. Gritting his teeth in frustration, Sora went over to the smooth, black device and gripped the rim of the disc with his fingers, pulling it out slowly so as not to damage it. He tucked it away carefully in one of his pouches, stowing it in one of the pockets closest to his leg in order to better protect it. He didn't know if he'd be able to find another device like this one that could read it, but on the off chance that he did discover one, he wanted the disc to remain intact.

Sora leaned against the damp rock wall, his arms folded across his chest and his brow furrowed in a deep frown. Now what? As far as he could see, he had two options. He could go in search of Kairi on the Destiny Islands to tell her of the Keyblade of Light, or he could seek out this World of Twilight to find out about the fourth Keyblade.

It couldn't be that easy, could it? Could he really find a way to return home, to see his friends and his family again, to see…Kairi? It was what he had wanted so desperately for so long…could it really be his next destination?

The more he thought about it, the more Sora had to admit the truth - that if it really were that easy to get to the Destiny Islands, he would have gone home long before. He had no navigation gummi, nor any other way to find his home, and he didn't know where he could begin to look for one. On the other hand…it was all very well and good that he could use the Keyblade to get to the Twilight World, but how? He couldn't just point it at something and think happy thoughts as if he were about to take flight. There had to be more to it than that.

Sora shrugged. It was time to talk to Leon and the others about his discovery. He headed back toward the entrance to the cavern, his hands stuffed in his pockets and a thoughtful frown on his face.

Try as he might, he was unable to silence the small voice inside his heart, begging fate to find a way to send him back to Kairi.

* * *

_Wow, have I ever written up a storm today...and I have so much more still roiling around in my head. I have some details to work out, however, and we still have to see what choice Sora will make! In the meantime, at the risk of sounding like a broken record...I do love reviews, because they let me get into my readers' heads and see how I'm doing, if I'm getting the right feel in these chapters and prompting the intended reaction. I'd love to hear from you!_


	23. A Dangerous Experiment

**_The Road to Dawn_**  
_By Ariana Aislinn_  
_Chapter 23: A Dangerous Experiment_

_This is seriously the last one for tonight. No, really, I mean it this time. (falls over)_

_Standard disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts and its characters are the property of Square-Enix and Disney, not me._

* * *

"Sora! Sora!"

Sora hurried up the steps to the castle gates. "What is it? I'm here, Donald, and boy have I got someth-"

Donald collided with him, nearly bowling the boy over. "Sora, you'll never guess what we found!"

"Owww…" Sora winced, rubbing his head. "Donald, you knocked me into a pillar! What's the matter?"

Goofy stood just inside the entrance hall, waving a book. "This here book has all sorts of interesting stuff in it, Sora! C'mon into the library and we'll show ya!"

Sighing, Sora followed the other two. "I've got something to show you, too. Look, I think I know where-"

Donald grabbed Sora by the arm and dragged him inside the library, kicking the door shut behind him and propelling the boy over to a table beneath the stairs. He pushed Sora into a chair, and Goofy dropped a book in front of him and sat in the other chair with his usual, good-natured smile.

"Will you two just listen a min-" Sora glanced at the title of the book and fell silent, his eyes widening. "_The Key to Twilight_?"

"It's about a Keyblade, Sora! Don'tcha think it might be important?" Goofy grinned proudly, obviously pleased with himself for having found it.

Sora's heart sank. It looked like just what he needed, but he would have much preferred something that would lead him to Kairi. Still, he knew he should be grateful for any lead at all. He opened the book and began flipping through pages. "So, does this tell us how to find the Keyblade of Twilight?"

Donald shook his head. "No. Some of the pages are missing, so all we know is that this key exists…but it does tell a little about how to use it, and about this 'World of Twilight,' whatever that is."

Sora grinned. "And that's just what I was going to tell you about. I found a library too, down near the falls, and there was a…well, I found a book, of sorts, that tells all about the Keyblades and how to open the Door to Light."

"No way! Didja really, Sora? That's great!"

"Hmph!" muttered Donald. "Whaddaya mean, a library near the falls? That's crazy."

Sora ignored the duck. "The important thing is, I know what we have to do next. We have to find the Keyblade of Light and the Keyblade of Twilight, and their bearers. We've already got the other two."

"Other two?" Donald frowned.

"Sure. I have one, and King Mickey has the other."

"Oh yeah, a-hyuck! But, uh…that means we've gotta find the king."

Sora nodded. "Right…and we have to find Kairi."

Donald's expression softened slightly. "Kairi? Look, Sora, we know you miss her and all, but…"

Sora shook his head. "It's not that. I'm not positive, but I'm pretty sure that Kairi's the one who's gonna find the Keyblade of Light."

"Wow. This shore is a lot to take in!" Goofy sat back in his chair, putting a white-gloved finger to his lips thoughtfully. "But how are we gonna find Kairi, Sora? She's back on your island, isn't she? And to get there we'd hafta get a navi-gummi or something. We could ask Cid, but…I think if he had one, he'd've given it to us already."

"I think you're right," Sora sighed. "There's another place we need to go, too. I don't know who's going to be the one to get the Keyblade of Twilight, but I'm thinking we might find out if we head here." He pointed to the book the other two had found. "Do you know if it tells us anything about how to enter the World of Twilight?"

Donald flipped through a few pages, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Hmm. I don't know…but I think there might have been something. There was a chapter we hadn't looked at yet…it's called…oh yeah!" He stopped leafing through the book and pointed to a heading. "'Shadows of Our World.'"

Sora leaned closer and scanned the first few paragraphs, his eyes brightening. "Hey, I think this is it! Listen: 'The World of Twilight is like ours in many respects, but in many ways it is a shadow of our world. Just as shadows have no substance and cannot be grasped or captured, entering these realms is extremely difficult.' Okay, I know that much…let's just see if it tells anything further."

There was silence for a time as they pored over the book. Sora leaned forward on his elbows to read while Donald pressed against his shoulder, his beak jutting forward and partially obscuring Sora's vision. Goofy just waited patiently, pondering the text upside down and waiting to see if the other two would find anything useful.

"What about this?" Sora asked finally. "It says here that entering the Twilight World can be accomplished by using the powers of twilight itself, and one can do this by making a portal similar to that created by the power of darkness."

Donald frowned. "What, you mean you want to make a portal out of twilight or darkness?"

Sora shook his head. "No, we don't have the power of twilight to work with, and you know as well as I do that there's no way we're messing with the power of darkness, even if it would work, and I'm not sure it would. I'm more interested in what it says next - that a similar portal can be formed using another power, so long as it's a very strong, focused magical power. I think the Keyblade could do it - that's what the disc in the other library said, anyway. What I couldn't figure out was how. So, what if we tried to make a portal using a method similar to that of using darkness, only we used the Keyblade instead?"

Goofy scratched his head, frowning. "I dunno if that quite makes sense, but…if you say so, Sora."

Donald frowned. "Uh, Goofy…there was one other book we found, remember? We set it aside to give to Aerith and Leon…"

"Oh yeah!" Goofy nodded. "It was one of that Ansem feller's books. We thought it was probably too dangerous to leave lying around in the library, so we thought they could decide what to do with it. It's got all sorts of stuff about using darkness. Maybe it'd help?"

"It's worth a try," mused Sora.

Goofy got to his feet and headed up the stairs, returning a minute later with a thick, leather-bound journal. He handed it to Sora, who opened it next to the book about the Twilight World.

The handwriting in the book was quite familiar, and Sora was reminded of the pages they had collected of Ansem's other reports. Apparently that was not the only journal he had kept, though this one looked much more informal, with notes scrawled in the margins and loose pages stuck in seemingly at random. "I don't know how we're ever going to find what we need, even if it _is_ in here," Sora sighed.

"Why don't you go ahead and give it a try anyway?" Donald suggested. "I'll go see if I can scrounge up a snack for us."

"I'll go with you," volunteered Goofy, and the pair trooped out of the library, leaving Sora alone with the book written by his old enemy.

It took quite a while for his friends to return, so Sora sat and read in silence, leafing through the pages slowly and carefully, even though his mind roiled with impatience. It was fortunate that he took the time to do so, however, because eventually his eyes caught one word amidst a jumble of nearly indecipherable scientific and magical theories - "Kairi."

"Whoa, what?" Sora's eyes widened, and he scanned the page from the beginning.

_"It is my belief that the worlds may be crossed quite easily, even more easily than with the gummi vessel of my recent visitor. If one had a strong enough power, a portal could be formed that would instantly transport the subject to any world chosen. All that is needed is power of sufficient potency, and a reliable way to secure the destination."_ For a while it went on about the feasibility of selecting a specific world among many, and how this could be accomplished by the one creating the portal. Sora kept reading, and a few sentences later he found the section that had caught his eye. _"My initial tests have all been successful,"_ the start of the next entry read. _"I have succeeded in sending small objects to distant worlds. It is time for the next stage of my experiment. This time I will send a living subject, and I shall choose a new destination - an entirely separate world known as the World of Twilight. My studies have indicated that in this world, darkness affects the heart differently. I must know if it is possible to face the darkness and not be consumed by it. I have already completed many experiments with the Heartless in my castle. Next I shall send a human subject to that world to see if she can resist the darkness. I believe my niece, Kairi, will be ideal - she is too young to offer her own resistance and thereby invalidate the experiment. I will send Heartless after her to see how their darkness affects her. If her heart remains intact, I may have a way to use the powers of darkness without repercussions."_

The entry ended there, and Sora pounded his fist on the table, flipping ahead to the next entry…but there seemed to be some pages missing, and the next entry was dated much further in the future and appeared to have nothing to do with Ansem's planned experiment. "No," Sora whispered to himself. "Did he…do it? _Could_ he have? But…Kairi would have remembered, wouldn't she?" Tears stung his eyes at the thought. Whatever _had_ happened, he knew Kairi had not lost her heart to darkness…so either Ansem's experiment had succeeded, or it had never taken place.

He read on half-heartedly, hoping to find more answers, but there was no further mention of Kairi, or the Twilight World. There was, however, a passage dealing with the exact method used to create a portal of darkness. Sora read it over several times, and although it was rather difficult to understand, he thought he could see a way to adapt the technique for use with the Keyblade. In fact…it might take a little creativity, but it was possible a certain summon gem might also come in handy.

The door to the library slammed, and Donald and Goofy reentered, arguing animatedly about a bag of flour Goofy had apparently spilled in the kitchen. Indeed, both of them still bore traces of the white powder on their clothes. It seemed Aerith had refused to let them out of the kitchen until they had cleaned it all up.

"Sorry it took so long, Sora. Here you go!" Donald held out an oatmeal cookie.

Sora flipped the book closed, quickly wiping his eyes so they would not see, and smiled brightly as he accepted the cookie. "Thanks, guys!"

"Didja find anything, Sora?"

The boy nodded. "I think so. It's going to be tricky, though, and it's going to take your help. Even then, I'm not sure I'll be able to open a portal wide enough to allow more than one person through."

The other two exchanged glances. "Gee, Sora, are ya sure that's a good idea?" Goofy frowned. "After all, we always stick together, don't we?"

Sora sighed, closing his eyes. Again, he felt an insatiable need to find out the truth of Kairi's past. If he had to do it alone, so be it…and even if he could have brought the other two along, he was unsure what he would be facing, and if he wanted to face it with them. "I know, guys," he said gently, "but I really think this is something I have to do. I promise I'll be back as soon as I can. You'll just have to hold the portal open long enough for me to find what I need and get back. If it looks like there's no way to learn about the Keyblade of Twilight, I'll head back, okay?"

"Well…I guess," Donald said slowly. "But…can it at least wait until after dinner? You should take some time to think about it, Sora, and we need to plan this out."

"Right, and a good meal wouldn't be a bad idea, either!" Goofy nodded. "Look, Sora, if this is what you think you gotta do, we're right behind ya, as always."

Sora gave them both a wavering smile. "Thanks, guys."

* * *

"Are you sure you won't reconsider?"

"No, Saïx. There's no reason for me to stay, and the first battalion of Nobodies is here. Luxord's on his way with the next, and you've also got Demyx. I'm sure you can handle things without me."

Saïx frowned. "I don't know that I share your confidence in Demyx's abilities."

Darkside laughed humorlessly. "That's because you don't know him well enough. Trust me, he'll be formidable in the right situation, and I'm betting that day is coming soon."

"But where are you headed, then? Will you at least tell me that much, in case there's an emergency?"

"Emergency?" Green eyes flashed sharply from within the depths of the hood. "Saïx, I gave you an order. You know your mission, and if you can't handle it…well, you know the consequences of failure. I know I don't need to stand by you and hold your hand when there are more important things for me to deal with. You've got your mission, and I've got mine. Both are crucial to success."

"And to our eventual restoration," Saïx murmured to himself, then raised his voice, nodding. "Of course, Darkside. You can count on me."

"Good. Your job is to find out more about the heart's restoration and the Seekers' magic from this old woman, while mine…" He could sense the grin in Darkside's voice. "My job is to figure out exactly how we're going to reopen the Door to Darkness."

With that, Darkside vanished, fading into the inky black portal that suddenly formed in front of him. After it, too, disappeared into the night, Saïx was left alone on the sandy beach, looking up at the star-filled sky. A slow smile spread across his face, and his golden eyes glinted in the starlight.

"Soon," he said. "Soon…we shall again be whole."

* * *

_I may head for bed and scribble out a bit of the next chapter before I go to sleep, but this is the last thing getting posted tonight. Hope you enjoyed it!_


	24. An Anticipated Reunion

**_The Road to Dawn_**  
_By Ariana Aislinn_  
_Chapter 24: An Anticipated Reunion_

_I think I kind of bowled people over with my four-chapter update the other day. I actually ended up writing four more chapters the following day, but I figured I'd give everyone a break - besides, they needed some serious editing. Anyway, many thanks to Koorino Megumi and DooMGazE for beta reading this chapter for me. I'm really pleased with it - it was awfully fun to write._

_Standard disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts and its characters are the property of Square-Enix and Disney, not me._

* * *

"Concentrate. Feel the light welling up within you, direct it…no, direct it _outwards,_ Kairi. That's better. You know how to heal yourself; we are now working on extending that power to others."

Kairi gritted her teeth and directed the flow of magic out towards DiZ, where it bathed his exposed forearm in a soft, golden-green light, healing a small, red cut across his skin. "Look, DiZ," she panted, "can we please stop now? I'm not so sure I'm really…comfortable with this."

DiZ shrugged and, with a flicker of his fingers, tucked the small knife he'd been holding back into his robes. "As you wish. Healing is much easier to practice with a real wound present, however."

"I know, it's just…it's awfully _creepy._"

DiZ allowed himself a brief smile. "It makes you uncomfortable, yes…but Kairi, you must be ready for injuries in battle. They will come whether you are ready for them or not, and whether you think they are 'creepy' or not. You are not the sort of girl who faints at the sight of blood…"

Kairi shook her head. "No, but it's just…the thought of someone being hurt that sets my teeth on edge."

DiZ laid a hand kindly on her shoulder, looking down at her from his great height. "That is part of what makes you who you are. Your compassion is a deeply rooted part of your personality, and it is one of the traits of a princess of heart. Sadly, it can also be a liability. Your sensitivity allows you to feel things more deeply than others - both joys _and_ hurts. It is something you will have to learn to master, just as you master other skills."

Kairi nodded. "So…are we done for now? We've been at this almost since dawn." She bit her lip, realizing she was complaining, but it _had_ been a long morning.

DiZ sighed and glanced toward the tall windows at the end of the entry hall, where sunlight streamed in. A blue-violet vortex swirled in the center of the middle window, where it had been since DiZ woke her and brought her down to work on healing magic. "It is past time, and we need something to eat. Kairi, wait here and watch the portal, please. I will fetch us a light lunch." He shook his head as he left the room, muttering to himself, "Roxas, hurry…"

When DiZ returned with some simple ham sandwiches, Roxas had still not returned. They sat on the stairs and ate in silence, both of them chewing thoughtfully.

"DiZ," Kairi asked, "you said that you sent Roxas to find help, someone to send to the Destiny Islands. Right?"

The man nodded. "I did indeed…among other things."

"But…you're teaching me magic. Are you sure I couldn't go with you? If the islands are in danger, I want to help! You said you couldn't do it by yourself, but what if you had me along?"

DiZ chuckled. "I'm afraid, Kairi, that less than twenty-four hours of magical instruction is not sufficient in this case. I appreciate your resolve, but I need someone who is a bit more…shall we say, battle-hardened? But worry not. Your islands will be in good hands…provided Roxas returns soon. I gave him two jobs to perform, and it remains to be seen how much success he has had with either…aha, here he comes now!"

Indeed, the dark colors of the vortex parted as Roxas stepped through, his features temporarily muted from the twilight powers he had wrapped around himself. As he let his twilight magic fade, he came into clearer focus, stuffing his hands in his pockets and walking across the hall to join DiZ and Kairi.

"Were you successful, my friend?"

Roxas shrugged. "Well…yes and no."

"Were you able to pass on my message, then?"

"No, unfortunately." Roxas shook his head in frustration. "I couldn't find him anywhere, at least, not in the parts of the castle I can easily get to. I wasn't about to go looking elsewhere and get caught - too many questions to answer, and it would have taken a lot of time we don't have. So I gave up and went to find Naminé instead." He sat down on the steps next to Kairi and grabbed one of the uneaten sandwiches.

"And how about her…was she easily found? Were you able to complete the preparation?"

The boy sighed. "I guess. I did find her, yeah…she was in her room, drawing, as usual. But…" He shook his head again. "We're just going to have to hope it was enough. She's about as receptive as she's gonna get, I think. Besides, we're running out of time, DiZ - you said so yourself. We're just going to have to take Kairi back there this afternoon and hope for the best."

"Hey, do you two mind explaining a little?" Kairi waved her half-eaten sandwich at them. "I'm right here, you know! Who are we going to see? What's this all about?"

DiZ smiled. "Remember yesterday, when I said we would be introducing you to someone who could help you complete your own task? That is Naminé." He turned to look at Roxas.

The boy nodded. "Right. We think…she should be able to help return your memory to you. That is, we hope so…once her own memory is returned."

Kairi frowned, confused. "But you said yourself that the memories I lost were from when I was very little, and I might have forgotten a lot of it anyway. You don't remember much from when _you_ were three or four years old, do you? Besides, who's going to return Naminé's memory to _her,_ if that's the case?"

Roxas held up his hands, grinning. "Whoa, slow down. I'll try to explain. Look, I told you DiZ helps me control and develop my powers, right? Well, I can unlock memories, and restore memories that have been forgotten. I've had this talent ever since I was a baby. It isn't really uncommon here, but not everyone has these powers. It kinda runs in my family, though."

"All right. So why can't you restore my memories?"

"It's not that easy, in your case. Yours were deliberately erased, not just forgotten. When that happens, the person who did the erasing is the one who has to restore the memories. That's why Naminé has to do it."

"But…Naminé erased my memories?" Kairi blinked. "Why would she do that?"

Roxas sighed. "It's…an awfully long story. Let's just say…someone asked her to. Someone who didn't want you to remember some…pretty painful stuff. I'm actually really sorry we have to return those memories to you, Kairi, but you need to know this. Besides, you won't be able to do what you have to do until your heart is whole…meaning you need the memories that were taken from you."

"Yes," agreed DiZ. "Naminé holds part of what you are, and only she can return it to you."

"But…she can't do that until her own memories are restored, right?" Kairi frowned. "Then who _is_ Naminé? And who erased _her_ memories?"

DiZ glanced at Roxas and cleared his throat. "I think that perhaps we do not have time to hear the entire story right now. If you have finished eating, Roxas, we must return to Disney Castle."

"Disney Castle? I think I know that name." Kairi frowned.

DiZ stood and offered her a hand to help her up. "You may have heard it during your travels, yes. It is the home of Sora's companions, Donald and Goofy, and it is the world ruled over by their sovereign, King Mickey."

"Oh! Now I remember!" Kairi grinned as she stood. "But…wait, so Naminé is there now?"

Roxas nodded, jumping to his feet and dusting bread crumbs off his jacket. "Yep. DiZ took her there to keep her safe from Darkside, who'd been holding her prisoner in Castle Oblivion. Come on." He held out his hand to Kairi. "You ready? It's time to go meet some new friends…and maybe an old one or two."

DiZ frowned. "Leave off your tantalizing hints, boy, and don't forget the twilight magic. It wouldn't do to try to take our young friend through the portal unprotected."

Roxas flushed. "Oh yeah, right." He briefly touched his fingers to Kairi's forehead, dropping a mist over her eyes as before. He then grasped her hand and gently pulled her toward the portal. "Let's do this!"

Kairi smiled a little and followed him, taking a deep breath before she was pulled into the swirling colors of the twilight portal.

* * *

They tumbled out into the middle of a deserted promenade, which looked out onto a carefully tended courtyard filled with all manner of elaborate topiary. DiZ followed through the portal, walking regally past Kairi and Roxas. "Come on now, children," he told them as the portal winked out of existence.

Roxas and Kairi, sprawled in a tangle of arms and legs, looked at each other. "'Children'?" Kairi made a face, then struggled to her feet, noticing as she did so that the mist over her eyes vanished once more. She and Roxas hurried to catch up with DiZ.

They stopped in front of an arched doorway halfway along the promenade, which opened onto a wide hallway. A thick, red carpet was laid on the floor, and at the end of the hall was the largest doorway Kairi had ever seen. She craned her neck upwards to look at it, wondering how one was supposed to open it…when suddenly a much smaller, approximately human-sized doorway opened at the base of one of the double doors. The guard started in surprise when he saw the trio, nearly dropping his ceremonial spear.

"Oh, DiZ," the strange, humanoid steer sputtered. "I didn't know you were here! Did you want to see the King?"

DiZ smiled, nodding an affirmative. "If it's not too much trouble. I don't suppose his friend is anywhere nearby, is he?"

"Oh, no, they're both in the library. I think they've been in there all day, researching. I can take you there, if you like."

"Please." DiZ gestured, and the steer took the lead, showing them down the hall and back out to the promenade.

Kairi leaned over to Roxas as they walked and whispered, "Well, I can tell we're in the right place. This has to be Donald and Goofy's world, all right."

Roxas chuckled. "From what I've heard about them, you're right. Not that I've talked to anyone here, but from what I've seen, they're all really friendly. DiZ sort of knows King Mickey, which is why we can walk around without suspicion. I can't get away with that when I'm here on my own, though."

At the end of the promenade, they entered a bit smaller door, which led into a warm and inviting library. A fire burned in the grate, and books lined the strangely skewed shelving. A small, humanoid mouse sat at the desk in the center of the room, dressed in somewhat regal-looking clothing of red, white, and gold as he pored intently over a book. A tall stack of books sat next to him on the desk, threatening to spill over at any moment.

The mouse looked up and exclaimed, "Ah, DiZ!" Sure enough, three books slid off the top of the stack and hit him on the head before tumbling to the floor. Mickey scowled and rubbed his head, then turned to his guests and smiled. "What brings you here today?"

The guard who had escorted them saluted and left the room, closing the door behind him. The sleeves of DiZ's robes drooped to obscure his hands, clasped in front of him, as he made a slight bow to the small king. "Greetings, King Mickey. As a matter of fact, I have come to see your young friend today. Is he about?"

Mickey nodded. "He was here a little while ago, but I think he went to go train in the gardens. He should be back soon." He cocked his head at the other two and smiled. "Who are your friends?"

"Ah, forgive my manners." DiZ gestured to Roxas. "The boy is…I suppose you might call him my apprentice. His name is Roxas, and he has come to see Naminé, if it is all right."

"Of course, DiZ. After all, you're the one who brought her to us, so I'm sure it's fine with me if you think it's safe."

DiZ nodded. "Thank you. We will go to see her after we finish our business here. And _this_…is Kairi." He indicated the girl, who smiled shyly.

Mickey brightened visibly. "Oh, of course! I should have recognized you sooner. I sure have heard a lot about you, Kairi." He jumped out of his seat and came over to shake her hand eagerly.

Kairi gave him a small smile. "Oh, you have? From who?"

The door to the library creaked open, and a new figure entered - this one dressed in a familiar long coat of black leather. Kairi stiffened, her hands clenching at the sight.

"Hey, Mickey? I was wondering if you'd had a chance to look over the book I-" The new arrival looked up, took in the sight of the three visitors, and froze. His mouth worked in silence for a moment, and then he whirled around, flipping his hood up and over his face.

"W-wait!" Kairi stepped forward, her hand outstretched. Despite her initial reaction, this was not Axel, nor any other member of the Organization she'd met before. He wore a black blindfold tied securely over his eyes, but…the voice, the soft, feathery, silver hair… He'd also grown much taller, and his voice was slightly deeper, but Kairi thought she would have recognized him anywhere. "Riku…? Is that…really you?"

The voice that came from beneath the hood was gruff. "No."

Kairi scowled, then grabbed his hand and pulled him around to face her. She reached up and yanked down his hood, and he reflexively held an arm up to shield his face. Kairi took hold of his forearm and pulled, gently but firmly, until his face was visible.

Riku sighed reluctantly. "Hi, Kairi."

Tears stung her eyes. "Riku, why are you trying to hide from me? All this time I've been worrying about you, and…oh!" She stamped her foot angrily, then wrapped her arms around him, squeezing her eyes shut until her cheeks were moist with a trace of tears. Riku looked around helplessly as Kairi buried her face in his coat. Mickey just grinned at him, and DiZ stood there with his typically neutral expression. Riku frowned when he noticed Roxas, standing there with his hands clasped behind his head and whistling innocently to himself. "What are you all looking at?" he muttered.

Kairi took a step back, releasing Riku from her embrace but holding him at arm's length. She looked up at his face and cocked her head. "You've gotten really tall."

Riku smiled waveringly at her. "I…guess I have. But, Kairi-"

Kairi touched the blindfold softly. "And what's with this?"

"A long story." He shook his head. "Look, I don't know what you remember, but a lot has happened, and I-"

Kairi smiled. "DiZ told me a little. Not much, but look, you don't have to explain yourself to me. Not till you're ready."

Riku sighed. "Kairi…I'm sorry. For everything."

She grabbed his hands and clasped them in her own, swinging them a little. A giggle escaped her lips. "I know you are. Look, it doesn't matter right now. I'm just so glad to see you again! I-" She dropped his hands and covered her mouth, her eyes going wide. "Oh no! Riku, the real reason we're here…the Destiny Islands are under attack!"

Riku straightened. "_What?_ When did this happen?"

Kairi shook her head, dropping her hands to her sides. "Last night. Or sometime yesterday. I'm not sure, but…" She looked at DiZ for assistance.

DiZ stepped forward. "We don't have time for many questions, Riku, but Organization Thirteen is holding your home hostage in order to force Kairi's grandmother to tell them what they wish to know. They have a small army of Nobodies there already, with more on the way. I cannot handle this alone, so we have come to ask your help."

Riku set his mouth in a thin line, frowning grimly. "We have no real defenses. The islanders don't stand a chance…" He looked up at DiZ through his blindfold. "Just what is it the Organization wants to know from old Gran? She's just a sweet old lady, right?"

Kairi shook her head. "No, Riku. You forget, she's not from the islands. She's from Hollow Bastion, like me, and they think she knows some old magic secrets that they can use. I don't really understand what it's all about, but I think they're trying to get her to tell them about the Seekers of Wisdom."

"Whoa! Hey, Mickey…remember how we were talking about that not too long ago?"

The mouse nodded. "I sure do, pal! There's definitely a connection here."

"Not only that, but as I was about to say when I walked in, I found a book earlier that I left out for you, and I was wondering if you'd taken a look at it yet. That red one there, on the corner of your desk. The one titled _Lost Worlds_."

Riku scrubbed a hand through his still-damp hair; he'd just come in from showering after training in the gardens. He gave Kairi a weak smile as he waited for Mickey to excavate the book from the pile spilled across his desk. Kairi returned the smile brightly.

"Aha, here it is!" Mickey waved the book in the air.

"Look in chapter four. There's something in there about a lost Seeker homeworld…where a lot of them went to protect something. I only glanced at it, but if the Seekers are this important to the Organization, I bet we'll find some information in there that could help us figure out what it is they want."

Mickey nodded. "Gotcha, pal. Okay, how's this? I'll stay here and see what I can find out, and you go get ready to accompany DiZ to the islands."

"And I'll take Kairi to go see Naminé," said Roxas, looking up at DiZ for approval.

The tall man nodded. "Yes, that must be done right away. Bring her back here with you when you are ready, and I shall send you back to Twilight Town."

Kairi frowned. "We're going back? But…I want to go to Destiny Islands and help!"

DiZ put a hand on Kairi's shoulder. "Patience, young one. You do not comprehend the import of what you may learn from Naminé, and I am not at all certain you will be able to face the dangers of the Nobodies in that condition. Return to Twilight Town to rest, reflect on what you have learned, and practice your magic. That is your task now. Do you understand?"

Kairi exchanged glances with Riku, who nodded slowly. "Look, Kairi, I don't know everything that's happened to you since we last saw each other, but I think DiZ is right. We can handle this. Will you trust us to take care of the islands?"

Kairi sighed. "I guess so. It's just…I'm sick of being left behind. I want to help!"

Riku grinned and reached out to ruffle her hair. "You already have, silly."

Kairi smiled back uncertainly.

Roxas reached out and grabbed Kairi's hand. "We've got to go, Kairi. Come on."

"Wait a second." Riku took a step towards Roxas. "What exactly is it you want with Naminé? You don't mean her any harm, do you? I swear, if you do anything to hurt her, or Kairi…"

Roxas' expression softened, almost sadly. "That's the very last thing I'd want. Look, I know you don't know me, Riku, but trust me." He grinned at him. "The girls are in good hands!"

Riku frowned, but he nodded. "DiZ appears to trust you, so I guess I've got no choice." He folded his arms. "Go on, then."

Roxas grinned again, waving at him as he pulled Kairi down the hallway. "Bye now! Try not to miss me!"

Riku exchanged glances with DiZ as Roxas practically dragged Kairi out of the library. "Where'd you pick _him_ up?"

DiZ chuckled. "Relax, Riku. He's more like you than you know."

"Hmph." Riku sighed. "That's what bothers me."

* * *

_A side note to one of my reviewers - Malachite Circle, some months back you offered me fresh-baked cinnamon rolls with extra frosting if I'd bring Riku back. Is there a statute of limitations on that offer? I'd like to collect! (looks cute) Oh, and to all my readers - I have more chapters waiting. Chapter 25 is completed and beta-read, and I just need to upload it. (Chapters 26-28 are also more or less finished, but they'll require a lot of work before I post them.) Please do review if you have questions, comments, suggestions, or angry rantings complete with pitchforks and torches._


	25. Kairi's Shadow

**_The Road to Dawn_**  
_By Ariana Aislinn_  
_Chapter 25: Kairi's Shadow_

_Again, thank you to Koorino Megumi for beta-reading! More backstory and minor plot twists await you...enjoy!_

_Standard disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts and its characters are the property of Square-Enix and Disney, not me._

* * *

Kairi shuffled her feet nervously as Roxas stood before the wooden door that led to Naminé's room. Roxas exchanged a glance with her, then took a deep breath and knocked.

"Who is it?" called a soft voice.

Roxas cleared his throat. "Um…a couple of friends…of Riku's. Can we talk to you for a minute?"

There was a soft patter of steps, and then the latch lifted and the door creaked open. Kairi found herself staring into a pair of intensely blue eyes very like her own. Though the girl had very pale blonde hair, her facial features were so similar that Kairi felt off balance, as if she were looking into a mirror.

Naminé drew in a breath very sharply and stared at Kairi for a moment, then turned to look at Roxas. She appeared panicked, as if she were about to bolt. Roxas himself seemed a little unsteady.

"Um, hi." He tried to smile, but it was decidedly off-kilter. "My name's Roxas, and this is-"

"Kairi," Naminé finished for him. She swallowed hard. "I know."

Kairi blinked at her. "You do?"

The girl slowly nodded. "Yes. I'm your…I'm your shadow." She stopped, then looked away, unable to meet Kairi's eyes.

_My shadow? Like Roxas is Riku and Sora's shadow? Well…that would explain a lot._ Kairi tried to smile encouragingly. "Can we come in and talk?"

Naminé shrugged, still not meeting her gaze. "I don't know what you'd want to talk to me about. I'm just…I'm just a shell, you see. A Nobody. And after the things I've done…no. It's better if you both just go, I think."

Roxas exchanged a glance with Kairi, then shook his head violently. "Look, I don't know what the Organization's told you, Naminé, but you're not a Nobody. You've got it all horribly wrong. Please, can we come in? It's really important that we talk with you."

"I…suppose it's all right." Naminé stepped back uncertainly and gestured for them to enter.

Her room was simple but pleasant. There was a narrow window that looked out onto the gardens, with a lacy white curtain over it. The window was open slightly, letting in a little breeze, and through it Kairi could see part of the orchards. A small circle of ground had apparently been cleared, and against the low wall at the edge of the orchard stood a rack that held what appeared to be swords.

The room's walls were painted a soft blue, and the bed was covered with a comforter of a somewhat darker shade. A vase of fresh, white flowers stood on a little desk, next to an open sketchpad. There were colored pencils scattered across the desk next to it. Naminé moved to close the sketchpad, but not before Kairi saw her latest, half-finished drawing - a fluid representation of a young man wearing a sleeveless, black shirt and somewhat baggy, blue pants, holding a rather unique and familiar-looking weapon as he moved through sword forms.

Naminé took a seat on the bed, folding her hands on her lap and crossing her sandaled feet at the ankles. She motioned for Kairi and Roxas to take the two extra chairs in the room. It was quite pleasant, with plenty of space, and it felt very homey. "I like your room," Kairi told her awkwardly, hoping to set her at ease.

Naminé nodded. "Thank you. Everyone at the castle has done their best to make me feel welcome since I arrived." She swung her feet nervously. "So…what brings you here, anyway?"

The blonde had asked her question of Kairi, but the other girl shrugged her shoulders, smoothing her pink skirt as she answered. "You'd better ask Roxas," she told her. "He's the one who brought me here, as well. He works for DiZ."

"You do?" Naminé asked, surprised. She turned to look at the boy. "I've never heard him mention you."

"Well, ah…yeah, he wouldn't have." Roxas scratched the back of his neck uneasily. "Time is short, but I'm just not sure how to start…okay, look. Naminé, what do you know about yourself? About your past?"

She blinked at him. "My past? I have none. I've…just always belonged to the Organization, ever since I was a little girl. I guess I always assumed there really wasn't anything before I joined the Nobodies. I have no memories, no family, no friends. I'm a shadow, nothing more. Kairi's shadow." She looked at the ground, wringing her hands. "Once, I - I tried to be something else. I tried to be a part of someone's memories, their past. I tried to create a past for myself. The Organization told me to do it, but I did it willingly. It was…very wrong of me." She sighed and looked up. "Kairi, I'm sorry."

Kairi tilted her head, her red-brown hair falling softly to her shoulder. "Sorry for what?"

A tear rolled down Naminé's cheek. "For what I did to Sora. I…tried to take your place in his memories." She squeezed her eyes shut. "I'll understand if you hate me for it, but…"

Kairi was silent for a long moment. As she watched, Naminé covered her face with her hands. Kairi stared at her for a little while, then reached out and rested a hand on the other girl's shoulder. "Why don't you tell us the whole story?"

It all spilled out then. Amid her tears, Naminé told them both how she had been a captive in Castle Oblivion for as long as she could remember. There had been another place, long ago, another Organization stronghold…but she could no longer remember the details. She simply knew that she'd been brought to Castle Oblivion as a child, when the Organization had first discovered the place, and had been confined there, seeing only the other members of the Organization, except when she was allowed to accompany one of them on a rare visit into the town of Gateway. Naminé insisted she had always been treated reasonably well - though Kairi had her doubts, looking at the girl's skinny frame. Her one complaint was the terrible solitude and boredom. She had gravitated toward drawing as an outlet, and the Organization had begun to allow her to buy art materials on her occasional visits to Gateway. For years she had used her artistic talents both as a hobby and as a focus for her powers. "I'm a witch with power over memories," she told them. "That's what I've always done for the Organization - manipulated memories, erased them, drawn over them, analyzed them. Sometimes they would take me from the castle and ask me to 'read' someone. I had just come back from a place called Hollow Bastion, where Axel wanted me to do just that, when DiZ arrived for me."

"Hollow Bastion?" Kairi blinked. "Who did he want you to read there?"

Naminé shrugged. "I think his name was…Leon?"

Kairi frowned, troubled, but motioned to Naminé. "Please, go on."

Her story continued. One day, a few months ago, someone new had arrived in Castle Oblivion. They never had visitors there - the Organization had always been able to keep the curious away, and most people in Gateway believed the castle to be haunted. At the time, there was a new rotation of Organization members keeping an eye on the castle, and Naminé had suspected them of plotting something that did not necessarily go along with the wishes of the rest of the Order. Still, she continued to do what she was told, not knowing what else she _could_ do. The new arrival had been somehow drawn to the castle by Marluxia, head of the faction that currently held sway there.

"Marluxia told Sora that there was something he needed to find in Castle Oblivion - something important, and that in order to find it, he would have to lose something very dear." She sighed. "He was talking about memories. Castle Oblivion, among other things, is a focus for memories. My powers have always been greatly amplified there, and Marluxia's faction had made use of that, drawing on the castle's unique nature and instilling memories in magical cards that could be formed into reflections of reality. As Sora traveled upward through the castle, on every floor the Organization was able to draw memories from him, putting them into cards and causing him to relive visions of his experiences. Once he was distracted, he was easy prey for me. The Organization commanded me to gradually alter Sora's memories…to erase the old ones, taking them apart bit by bit, and reforming them carefully into something similar, yet entirely different." She shook her head as if wanting to deny what had happened. "I'm so sorry, Kairi. It wasn't right of me. I shouldn't have done what they said."

"What was it that you did?" Kairi asked gently.

"I…" Naminé swallowed. "I replaced you. Sora lost most of his memories, except of his island, and of the friends he had always played with as a child. Only this time…instead of you being there with him and Riku, the person he remembered was me. I took your place in Sora's memories, Kairi, and in his heart. He forgot everything else, and when he learned I was being held captive, he thought of nothing else but rescuing me…which was exactly what the Organization wanted."

Kairi realized she was gritting her teeth. She forced herself to relax, unclenching her fingers and laying them flat on her knees.

Naminé looked earnestly at Kairi, her blue eyes intense. "But you know, he never truly forgot you. No matter what I did, no matter what the Organization did, it wasn't really me he was trying to rescue. The face and the name had changed, but it was your heart he still remembered. That's why it worked, because I'm your shadow…without a real heart of my own. All along, he was still looking for you, and he still remembered his promise. Even when he thought it was his promise to me - that the charm you gave him was a promise to keep me safe - it was really you all along that he wanted. Eventually I realized that, and I saw that I could never take your place. So…I told Sora the truth." She took a deep breath. "I told him how I'd lied to him all along, how I'd invaded his heart and destroyed his memories. And…do you know what he did, Kairi?" Fresh tears rolled down her face. "He forgave me! He forgave me, and he told me he would keep his promise to protect me, even if it wasn't real. Once he knew the truth, he was free of the Organization's control, of the chains they had slowly been placing on him with every floor he climbed. He defeated them, and he freed me from the rebel faction's control."

"What did you do then?" Kairi asked slowly.

Naminé wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "The only thing I could do, of course. I told him that if it was what he wanted, I would restore his memories. I told him that even if he didn't remember it, he'd made an important promise to a very special person, someone who wasn't me, and I would help him remember that promise. I warned him that to do so I would have to dismantle all his memories of Castle Oblivion - of everything that had happened there, and of me, as well. I wasn't surprised when he made his choice."

"He chose to remember the truth." Kairi's heart was in her throat.

Naminé nodded. "Yes. He chose to remember you, Kairi. In fact, I think he remembered your face and your promise even before I began to restore the rest of his memories." She sighed. "We parted as friends. I had to place Sora inside a crystal pod in Castle Oblivion. The damage to his memories was so vast, I had to have complete control over his mind for several weeks to reverse what I had done."

Kairi looked at Roxas. "The pod room," she whispered. Roxas nodded.

"Sora promised we'd remain friends, even after he had forgotten who I was. And…when he woke, he kept that promise. He didn't remember me, but he said of course we could be friends…as if it were the easiest thing in the world." Naminé smiled sadly.

"That's always been Sora's way." Kairi couldn't help but smile. "He's very quick to make friends, and quick to forgive, too."

Naminé nodded. "So, despite everything, it's all been set right again. Sora left Castle Oblivion to continue his journey, and his memories have all been restored. I'm no longer a part of those memories. The rebel faction that controlled Castle Oblivion is gone, although for a while other members of the Organization would come to see me…mostly Axel, of course." Naminé shivered.

"You're…afraid of him?"

"I don't exactly know. He's…strange. He is kind one moment, and cruel the next."

"So…what happened next?" asked Roxas, speaking for the first time during this conversation.

Naminé shrugged. "Axel came to get me one day, taking me to Hollow Bastion. When we returned, he left the castle, and I found DiZ waiting for me. I knew him from before. He appeared in Castle Oblivion just after I put Sora into a deep sleep in the pod room, introducing himself as a friend, but one with no ties to the Organization. He asked me to help Riku…but that's another story."

"One we don't really have time for. Sorry, Naminé." Roxas shook his head. "But thank you. We needed to know all this."

Kairi wet her lips slowly. "Naminé, I…well, it's difficult to take in everything you've said, and I guess I can't help but be a little angry. But when I hear everything you've been through, the way you've had to live, I guess I can't blame you for being so lonely. Besides, you've worked so hard to put it all right again." Kairi met Naminé's eyes with a steady gaze. "I forgive you, Naminé. Now, can you try to forgive yourself?"

Naminé gave her a wavering smile.

"Right." Roxas slapped his knees decisively and stood, his hands on his hips. "It's time. Look, Naminé, Kairi needed to hear the truth from you…but now you need to hear the truth from _me._" He met her gaze with an uncharacteristically serious expression. "You are _not_ a Nobody. Organization Thirteen is made up of thirteen Nobodies, but you are not one of them. You are as real as anyone else, just as human, and your heart is whole, not dead or damaged. Do you understand? A Nobody is someone taken by the darkness while in the Twilight World. That never happened to you. When the Organization was formed, they kidnapped you and had your memories erased, but your heart remained intact."

Naminé shook her head. "But…they said…"

"It doesn't matter what they said! The Organization lied to you to achieve their own ends, Naminé. The Organization was formed not long after the attack that took their hearts from them…the attack that left all of us with scars we still carry to this day."

"All of us?"

"All of us. You, me, and Kairi. It's part of the memories that both of you have lost, and that have to be restored."

"But…what do you mean? I know about memories, Roxas, and they're not easy to restore. You said time is short, but you intend to restore my memories? It can't be done, not that easily…even if you are telling the truth."

Roxas held up his forefinger and waggled it at her. "Not necessarily. Look, you have the power to erase and rearrange memories. You were born with it, and that's where your talent lies. You were able to restore Sora's memories because you're the one who took them apart, but even so, it took a very long time and a great deal of work. But me, now…" Roxas grinned. "Restoring and unlocking memories is my specialty. Your powers aren't unique, Naminé, and they _don't_ make you a witch. They may not be extremely common, and you're right, restoring memories still takes a good deal of preparation, no matter who does it - but we've already begun." He held out a hand, palm forward, and a speck of light formed in the air before him. As they watched, it slowly grew to form what appeared to be a keyhole, made of pure light and floating in the air in front of Roxas. Rifling through his pocket, he produced what appeared to be a set of lockpicks, and then he got to work. As he fiddled with the keyhole before him, both Kairi and Naminé became aware of a combination of feelings and senses: a soft breeze, children's laughter, fresh-baked bread…a chain clinking against a pole, a muted but amiable conversation, a strain of music…and a lovely, golden-red sunset over soft green hills.

"Wait, this is…" Kairi's eyes widened.

Roxas nodded. "Twilight Town." He turned to Naminé. "Your home."

"My home? But…I don't have a home."

"You did once." Roxas slipped the lockpicks back into his pocket. "I've done what I can to widen the cracks. The memories are there, Naminé…if you want them back. I could restore them now, but as you gave Sora a choice before, I give you a choice now. Do you want to remember your past? Do you want to know who you really are?"

Kairi watched the realization slowly spread across Naminé's face. She wondered what it would have been like, to spend your whole life believing you were just half a person, knowing that somewhere out there was another you, this one real and human and blessed with everything you thought you'd never have…and now, to suddenly realize that it had all been a lie, that what you'd always wanted might possibly be yours as well…

More tears flowed down Naminé's face, along the dried tracks of the others she had shed earlier, but this time she was smiling. "Yes. _Yes._ I want to know who I am."

Roxas folded his arms and smiled. "Okay then. Let's get to work." He sighed, looking thoughtful. "Even with the work I've already done, and even though you know the truth now, this isn't going to be easy."

"Roxas…you said that only the person who took away someone's memories can restore them." Kairi frowned. "So how…?"

"You're right." Roxas nodded. "I'm the one who erased Naminé's memory."

Naminé blinked. "But…_why?_"

Roxas sighed. "Same reason you took Sora's memories…because the Organization made you do it." He turned to Kairi. "Remember what I said before, that I suffered some ill effects in that attack long ago? Darkside, the Organization's Superior, took control over me and over my actions, my powers. He's the one who erased Naminé's memory, using me. That's why I have to restore those memories." He took a step forward, reaching out his hands, palm up, to Naminé. "Here, Naminé. Take my hands. Let's see if this works…"

She stepped forward to take his hands, and they both closed their eyes for a moment. Again, Kairi could sense the soft harmonics of whispered memories, jumbled together in a tangle of sights, sounds, and feelings. There was a long silence, lasting several minutes, before they finally broke away from each other.

Naminé's eyes fluttered open. "Was that it? I sensed…_something,_ but…"

Roxas shook his head. "No. Some of the memories were restored, but they're fuzzy, confused. It looks as if we can't do it completely until we return to the place where your memory was taken away." He sighed. "We're going to have to go back to Twilight Town to finish this."

Kairi nodded. "Right. We've spent too long here, anyway. DiZ is waiting for us, and he needs to send us back before he can go to the Destiny Islands with Riku."

"Wait, what's wrong?" Naminé's voice was concerned. "Why does Riku have to leave?"

Kairi paused, eyeing her carefully. "He's returning to our home," she said slowly. "The Organization has taken over Destiny Islands, and Riku's going back there with DiZ to save the islanders from them."

Naminé nodded, quickly pouring her colored pencils into a blue, brocade cloth bag. She gathered up her sketchbook and the bag, then turned to the other two, nodding. "I'm ready."

The three of them walked silently back to the library, mulling over their thoughts. As they approached, they saw Riku pacing impatiently in front of the door. He looked up when they arrived and hurried to meet them. "Where have you _been?_ We've been waiting for ages! Who knows what could have happened to the islands by now?"

Naminé smiled, placing a hand on Riku's forearm. To Kairi's surprise, he relaxed visibly, the agitation draining from his face. "It's all right, Riku," Naminé told him calmly. "I'm sorry we took so long, but…there were things that needed to be said. We're ready to go now."

Riku nodded, opening the door to the library. Inside, King Mickey was still intently reading the book Riku had found for him, and DiZ was leaning over his shoulder and pointing to the current page, commenting on select passages. As the others entered, he straightened. "Ah, here you all are." He gave Roxas a sidelong glance.

Roxas shook his head. "We're not done yet, DiZ. We're going to have to return to Twilight Town to finish the job."

DiZ nodded. "Very well, I shall open a portal for you. I can only stay long enough to send you home, however, for Riku and I must be off." He smiled. "At least you will be safe there, for now. Riku and I will return to Twilight Town as soon as our business is finished."

Roxas nodded. "Sounds great." He turned to Mickey and casually saluted. "Right, well, thanks for your hospitality, your majesty! Sorry the visit was so short."

The mouse grinned. "Of course. Come back soon, you hear?"

Roxas nodded, and Kairi went to shake the mouse's hand. "I'm glad to have had the chance to meet you, even if it wasn't for very long."

Naminé stepped forward and leaned down to give Mickey a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you," she said shyly. "I've never felt more at home anywhere else than I have here. You've all been so kind to me."

Mickey blushed. "Aw, shucks…anything for a friend of Riku's."

Naminé went over to join the others, waving to him. "I'll try to come back very soon!" As she passed Riku, she smiled and clasped his hand briefly before walking over to stand next to Roxas.

DiZ stretched out a hand and formed a familiar portal of swirling purple and blue in the wall. "Right then," he said, "you'd better be off. Good luck to you, children." He smiled, even as Roxas rolled his eyes.

Kairi stepped forward and gave Riku a hug, which he returned tightly. "Be careful, will you? And take care of everyone back home."

Riku nodded, smiling softly. "You can count on it. You take care too, Kairi. I expect to see you again very soon." He grinned. "Besides, if anything happened to you, Sora would kill me."

Kairi laughed, waving to him as she joined the others. Exchanging a glance, she, Naminé, and Roxas all nodded and clasped hands. Roxas waved a hand, and a soft, lavender-gray mist settled over them, cloaking them in the power of twilight for their journey through the portal. They stepped through and were gone. A moment later, the portal vanished behind them.

"And now," said DiZ, "let's see what we can do to help this homeland of yours, Riku."

* * *

_(grins) I hope you liked this one, as well. Oh, the possibilities! Get ready for tons of new information in the next chapter, which will surely include some major plot twists._


	26. A Memory Relived

**_The Road to Dawn_**  
_By Ariana Aislinn_  
_Chapter 26: A Memory Relived_

_Many thanks to Koorino Megumi and Perhelediel both for beta reading this chapter! And thanks also to Megumi for helping me hash out a ton of plot issues, so I was able to totally rewrite this chapter and really make it work well. Oh, and one thing I should mention - I had this mostly planned out before I ever played KH2, and that includes my mental image of Twilight Town. As such, the geography of the town doesn't work exactly like in the game, so don't worry too much if it doesn't sound like what you remember from KH2. Anyway, have fun with the plot twists, and enjoy!_

_Standard disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts and its characters are the property of Square-Enix and Disney, not me._

* * *

"Okay, let's go over how we're gonna do this."

The three of them were standing on the steps near Hollow Bastion's southeastern gate. Goofy leaned casually against the wall, rubbing his nose idly. Donald frowned thoughtfully, tapping his foot as he listened to Sora recount the plan they had worked out.

Sora drew an imaginary circle in the air with his outstretched arm. "This is where we want the portal to be, so that's where I'll be aiming the Keyblade's power. Donald, you focus your magic here, okay? Right smack in the center. Remember, we're strengthening the portal and defining its borders, just as it said in the journal."

Donald nodded. "I got it. But what about Goofy?"

"Goofy's going to maintain the summon gem. I'll need to release its power with the Keyblade, but once that's done, any of us could keep the magic going…at least, until it runs out."

Goofy scratched his head with one forefinger. "But, uh…how're we gonna use it, Sora? That's our pal Stitch, right? What can he do?"

"Okay, hear me out. This sounds a little weird, but…he's got those two energy guns, right? Well, what we need is energy. Once we've got the portal open, he may be able to help us keep it open by pouring more energy into it." Sora sighed, seeing Donald's doubtful look. "Well, I can't explain it, but I have this hunch it'll work. Don't worry, we'll try it first, okay? If the portal won't stabilize, I won't go through it."

"Oh, all right." Donald sighed and hefted his magic staff. "Are you ready to try it, Sora? We should get Stitch out here and explain it quickly."

"Right." Sora nodded, fumbling in his pocket for the small, blue stone. The Keyblade appeared in his right hand as he tossed the stone in the air with his left. A quick burst of energy from the Keyblade, and the summon gem blazed to life.

_"Aloha!"_ A mass of rapidly moving blue fur exploded outward, rolling along the stone walkway and coming to a stop against the wall. Stitch slid halfway down onto the ground, his legs resting comically against the wall as he stared at Sora, upside down. "You call Stitch?"

Sora grinned and crouched down next to the blue creature, who got to his feet and carefully dusted himself off. "Yeah, I did. Look, Stitch, we're going to try something with magic, and we need a lot of extra power. Those two energy guns of yours…do you think they'll be able to help?"

"Phase guns? Yeah! Stitch can help."

"Great! Now, we haven't got a lot of time." Sora straightened, then tossed the summon gem to Goofy, who caught it and began concentrating on the warm glow coming from the small stone. "You ready, Donald?"

"Ready as I'll ever be!" he quacked.

"Right." Sora braced his feet on the stone floor, then aimed the Keyblade at the spot he had chosen. "Stitch, when the portal appears, I want you to aim your guns right at its center, okay? You'll know when you see it." The blue creature nodded. "Ready…go!" Sora closed his eyes and concentrated, pulling the power from deep within himself and pouring it into the Keyblade, just as he'd planned based on the technique in the journal.

At first he thought it wasn't going to work, but apparently he'd tuned the energy just right, as a portal of swirling violet blue appeared before him in the air. It was small at first, but it grew rapidly. As soon as it appeared, Donald aimed a spell at it, and Stitch began shooting a stream from one of his guns. Sora continued to hold the beam of light from the Keyblade steady, and he watched as the portal grew wider and wider, until it was just big enough to enter.

"Okay guys, I'm going through!"

"_What?_ But Sora, we don't even know where it leads!"

Sora shrugged. "So I'll look through it first, Donald!" Ignoring the duck's protests, he walked slowly toward the portal, carefully avoiding the streams of energy from Donald's staff and Stitch's gun. Once he reached the edge, he stuck his hand through the portal. The sensation made him grit his teeth - the energy that formed the portal hummed through him at a jarring frequency, but he held on, extending his fingers and feeling around.

There didn't _seem_ to be anything off. The strange hum was concentrated on his wrist, where it intersected the portal. On the other side, he thought he could feel a soft breeze on his fingertips, and…sunlight, perhaps? Some sort of gentle warmth, anyway. _Oh well, no time like the present. If I wait much longer, we won't be able to keep the portal open long enough for me to get back._ "It seems safe! I'm going to head through, so just keep the portal open as long as you can. I'll try to be three minutes, tops. If I can figure out where I am and what we're looking for, I can come back and we can try again when we know where to look for this other Keyblade. Maybe I'll even see some people who can help me! You never know."

"You be real careful, Sora!" Goofy frowned uncertainly. "I agree with Donald, I don't like this."

Donald sighed. "Well, if you're gonna go, then go! We'll try to keep this going!"

Sora grinned, making the Keyblade vanish before he dove through the portal.

In retrospect, it probably wasn't a good idea, on the whole. As soon as Sora hit the portal, the intense hum became an agonizing vibration that gripped his entire body. He was unable to control his forward momentum, and he spilled out of the portal onto hard cobblestones, rolling head over heels to lie on his back. The portal stayed open behind him, but although no part of his body touched it, he could still feel that hum all through him. He climbed to his feet with agonizing slowness, staggering dizzily as he straightened.

Sora looked around, shading his eyes as he gazed into the sunset. Before him stretched a quiet little town, set among rolling hills of a pleasant green. A soft, red-gold color touched everything as the sun's dying rays lit the town. A gentle breeze blew through the cobblestone street, and Sora could see children playing off in the distance, on a little hilltop some ways away. None of the children were looking in his direction, and there was no one else in the immediate area to see his arrival…which was useful for avoiding difficult questions, but it made it harder for Sora to find the answers he needed in the three minutes he'd allotted himself.

Sora tried to run up the street toward a line of buildings, but fire shot through his legs, and he bit back a cry. _What's wrong with me?_ He set his teeth and did his best to stumble on, heading for what looked like a little café. He could hear voices coming from inside it, engaged in pleasant conversation, and the smell of fresh-baked bread wafted through the streets. Sora's stomach growled, and he almost laughed. _At a time like this…_ He shrugged to himself and hurried on.

* * *

The portal closed behind Roxas and the others, leaving no trace. Kairi looked around - they were in the entrance hall to DiZ's mansion, just where they had left. She gave Roxas a questioning look. "What now?"

Roxas held out a hand to steady Naminé, then turned to Kairi. "Well, we need to go to the place where the attack first happened, which is also where Naminé's memories were lost when the Organization came back for her later on. Let's go out in front of the mansion." He beckoned. The girls exchanged glances, shrugged, and followed.

It was actually quite a short walk out the front door and across the grounds. Roxas led them to the mansion's front gate, which was closed tightly and barred with an old, rusty lock. Roxas produced his lockpicks. "These work great for unlocking memories, but the lockpicks themselves aren't magical, so they work fine for ordinary locks, too. This won't take long - there we go!" The padlock slipped open, and Roxas was able to swing the gate outward. They exited onto an expanse of soft, green lawn that was badly in need of trimming. Small wildflowers grew here and there, in gleeful defiance of the original landscaper's design.

They stood in the center of the lawn, the two girls looking expectantly at Roxas. He sighed, his hands on his hips, and surveyed the area. "I'm going to have to remember how this all happened, too. Like I said, I was pretty young… Naminé and I were four years old when it happened."

"That young?" Kairi asked, a little sadly.

"Yep. You were the same age, in fact." Roxas nodded. "Okay, here's how we're going to do this." He flopped down to sit on the grass in a cross-legged position, beckoning for the girls to do the same. Soon they had formed a tiny circle, each of them joined to the others by clasped hands. "Right. Now, first we have to restore Naminé's memories. I don't know if this will work on you at all, Kairi, but I think it will work better if we're all a part of the circle. So if you don't remember anything, be patient. I'm going to restore Naminé's memories of what happened that night, eleven years ago. Naminé, you'll probably end up reliving it, which could feel really weird - so just hang tight to Kairi's hand if it gets too disorienting. Kairi, I don't know if you'll see anything - you'll probably get a few scattered images, even if you don't feel every single thing Naminé felt. But who knows? We don't really know how shadows work, after all, so you might get the whole memory too." He produced his lockpicks from his pocket, then held his hand out in front of him, causing a small, shimmery keyhole to appear, floating in the center of their little circle. "I might drop hands to work at unlocking the memory, so don't worry if that happens - just keep hold of each other."

The girls nodded, looking a little nervous. Roxas flashed them both a reassuring smile. "Hey, don't worry! It's just a memory, that's all. No matter how bad it is, we're all here together, right? So just relax."

The words made Kairi feel a little better, but she noticed that Roxas clenched his teeth slightly as he put the lockpicks down in front of him and took their hands again. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. Kairi could feel him tense up, even as he opened his eyes and grinned at them again. "Okay, let's get started. Close your eyes and just wait for the memory."

Kairi and Naminé did so, and for a while there was nothing…but then an image of Twilight Town appeared in both their minds, looking almost exactly as it did today. It was quiet and peaceful, and a weathervane clanked in the stillness. The picture focused on a little white house, its paint tinged a rosy color from the sunset. Out on the front lawn played a little blonde girl in a white dress, giggling as she merrily chased a butterfly from flower to flower.

"Naminé, don't go too far!" called a gentle female voice. "Roxas, go out and play with your sister, would you? It's too crowded in this kitchen for me to make dinner."

A screen door banged open, and a little boy hopped down the front steps, his hands in his pockets. He wore a white shirt and a pair of white and black checked shorts, which were a bit dingy and had grass stains on them from the usual wear and tear suffered by a little boy's play-clothes.

The four-year-old Naminé giggled, waving as she raced off after the butterfly, which had fluttered off down the street.

"Hey, come back!" the boy protested, hurrying after her. "Mom said not to go far!"

Naminé soon left him in the dust, however, and continued to run up the street. A couple of blocks away, she slowed as she saw a huddle of ten people gathered in an alleyway. The butterfly forgotten, Naminé hid behind a tree and crept closer, trying to hear what they were saying. She recognized them as newcomers to the town - visitors who had arrived on a train a week ago and had taken up residence in the Twilight Town inn. No one knew who they were or where they had come from, and they didn't act like tourists. They dressed strangely, wearing plain black slacks and long-sleeved shirts of varying colors, but with multi-colored tabards belted over the top, each with a different symbol in the center.

"Look, I don't know much about it, either," a young teenager was saying. The only girl in the group, she wore a rather suggestively tight undershirt of pale green, with tight, black pants and a tabard of yellow, with a lightning bolt symbol in its center. Her hair was yellow-blonde, and her cold, ice-blue eyes made Naminé uncomfortable. "I'm telling you, though, this is no ancient font of magic and tradition. This is a provincial little backwater, and we wasted our time coming here."

"Dunno about that, Ralene." An older man leaned casually against a wall. His own black shirt and pants were loose and comfortable, and he'd taken off his gray tabard and tied it around his waist as a sort of sash. He'd ripped the sleeves off his shirt to reveal muscular arms, and his long, black hair was tied in a ponytail. "I heard some of the locals talking about this guy they've got up in that mansion up there - their king, or somethin' like that. Could be worth a look."

"What, Lord Dumos?" The girl sneered. "Sounds like a useless old geezer to me."

Another older man, with long, blond hair and a serious, lined face, frowned at the two of them. His blue tabard had a white crystal in its center, and it covered a white shirt, as well as the same black pants all the others wore. He sighed heavily. "A useless old geezer, you say? I am wounded. You would do well not to disregard your elders so easily, when there is much they can teach you."

The man with the ponytail waved a hand dismissively. "Aw, Even, relax. You're only thirty-nine, and you've already got tenure."

"_Had_ tenure, or need I remind you that we are exiles here?"

"Exiles…and excommunicated, unwelcome, untrusted." This man was younger, wearing another gray tabard, but his hair was long and pale blue, his eyes a deep golden color.

"Yeah, the big Exes, that's us," sighed the youngest of the group, a teenage boy with blond hair. His own tabard was a deep blue, with a pattern of rolling waves in its center. The kid had a musical instrument of some kind slung over one shoulder, and he fingered the strings idly as he sat, cross-legged, against the alley's back wall. Naminé had no idea what these ten people were talking about, but she was entranced by the sound of the teen's music.

Suddenly one of them looked up - the older man with the blond hair. "What's that? I…sense something. A portal, perhaps?"

"What, like the one we used to get here? Come on, Even, who could do that? I've still got the jitters from our first screwed-up attempt, and we only barely managed to figure out what was wrong the second time we tried it. It ain't exactly a piece of cake. Who else besides us would be dumb enough to try? You're imagining things, man."

Even shook his head. "Maybe not. I, too, have heard things about this Lord Dumos, who lives in the mansion at the top of the hill. Though the townsfolk know little of the nature of their world, and care even less, their ruler holds secrets that have been passed down for generations. More than likely, he holds twilight powers the others do not. It is very possible that he is the one creating this portal I sense." The man nodded decisively. "Very well then, I intend to investigate. Are the rest of you with me?"

There was some muttering, but all ten of these strange visitors eventually agreed and hurried up the road toward the mansion. Naminé pressed against the wall until the alleyway was clear, then she began to follow.

A hand touched her shoulder, and the girl bit back a yelp. She turned and scowled. "Roxas, you scared me!"

"Where are you going? We gotta go home!"

She shook her head. "I wanna know what those people are up to. You know, the strangers? They're going to see Lord Dumos."

The boy blinked in surprise. "They are? What do they want?"

"I don't know. Let's go find out!"

All parental instructions forgotten amid their curiosity, the two children hurried up the hill after the others.

The cobblestone street widened at the top of the hill where it met the neatly-tended lawn of Lord Dumos' manor. A gate blocked the path, closed but not locked - Lord Dumos tended to welcome visitors on most days. The hedges that lined the walkway were tall, but although the mansion and its grounds were perhaps a little forbidding, to the children they seemed comfortingly familiar. The one thing out of place in the scene before them was a small, black and violet oval, hanging in midair in front of one of the hedges as it spun slowly. The ten strangers - the Exes, Naminé thought to herself - hung back on the other side of the lawn, most watching with curiosity, the youngest with apprehension. They took no notice of Naminé and Roxas, who huddled into one of the hedges, trying not to be seen.

The portal grew, bit by bit, until its bottom edge just touched the ground and it was tall enough for a person to walk through. Sure enough, someone _did_ come through the portal - but to Naminé's surprise, it was a little girl just about her age. She had red-brown hair and bright blue eyes, and she wore a white and lavender sundress that would not have looked at all out of place in Twilight Town. Naminé would have smiled to herself, for she liked the girl already, but the expression on the child's face was so very afraid.

Naminé turned to Roxas. "I'm gonna go talk to her."

"What? No! You can't talk to strangers!" he whispered back.

"But she looks so scared! I'll be right back." Heedless of the Exes just a few paces away, Naminé began walking across the lawn.

The little girl shrank back as Naminé approached her, but Naminé smiled, holding out her hand. "Hi. I'm Naminé. What's your name?"

"K-Kairi," the other girl stammered, managing a shy smile. "Where-"

Just then, the portal behind them rippled, and something black began to bulge through. The blackness separated from the portal, spilling out onto the lawn, and both girls grabbed hands, taking a step backward. The creature stood in a low crouch, bobbing its head at them. It had twitching black antennae and glowing, yellow eyes, and it started to creep toward them. Behind it, the portal bulged again, and three more of the creatures skittered forward.

Kairi and Naminé, still holding hands, turned and started to run, pushing between two of the Exes, who were advancing on the portal. One of them, the older man called Even, raised his hands and fired something at the portal - it looked to Naminé like ice magic, which she had seen Lord Dumos use once. The four little black creatures dissolved into black motes and disappeared, a strange glow rising out of their bodies and vanishing into thin air. There were more of the creatures right behind them, however, and they continued to pour out onto the grass as the Exes advanced, fighting through their ranks.

There were too many of them. The black creatures covered the strangers in a dark wave, blocking them from view. Naminé heard screams - it sounded like the young teenage boy who played such lovely music. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a familiar form racing forward to join them - a tall man with long, blond hair, deeply tanned skin, and golden eyes, dressed in robes of red and black. "Lord Dumos!" Naminé cried, watching the ruler of Twilight Town run across his lawn toward the front gate.

The black creatures continued to rush forward, coming closer to Naminé and Kairi. On her other side, Naminé could see Roxas trying to get to her, shouting, but the mass of blackness blocked him from her. Kairi pressed into her, trembling, and Naminé bit back a scream as the first black creatures leaped at them.

Claws ripped at her, grabbing onto her arms and legs and digging into her flesh. They felt cold, and where they touched her, her skin began to grow numb. An intense cold penetrated into her being, working its way deep inside her. Just when she thought she was about to pass out, a bright, warm light flashed in front of her, pushing the darkness back. Naminé realized it was coming from Kairi - or more accurately, from hers and Kairi's clasped hands.

Naminé opened her eyes, and amid the brightness she could see Roxas, trying to push through the black mass surrounding them. Next to him was a teenage boy - not one of the Exes, but rather a skinny kid with spiky, red hair and green eyes. He looked panicked, and Naminé could hear him calling out Kairi's name. Beyond them, the ten Exes lay on the ground, unmoving and ignored by the black creatures.

The light that surrounded Kairi and Naminé could not keep back the dark creatures for long, however, and it began to sputter and fade…but as it collapsed inwards, Naminé felt it falter. Most of the light rushed back through their clasped hands and into Kairi's small form, but Naminé could feel some of it traveling up her own arm. A warm place settled into the deepest part of her heart, and then the light around them was gone, and the creatures moved forward again.

_"No!"_ screamed the red-headed teen, pushing through the throng of dark creatures. Roxas followed close on his heels. A circle of flames appeared in front of the redhead, pushing the creatures back from the girls, but it did not distract them for long. This time, when they moved to attack again, they leaped upon the teenager, pushing him back into Roxas' small form. They both fell to the ground, black creatures swarming over them. There was a sound like breaking glass, and Naminé and Kairi both screamed, their voices perfect echoes of one another.

The image faded, and they came back to themselves. Kairi and Naminé realized they were both screaming again, just as they had that day so long ago. Their eyes opened wide as the screams faded, and they stared at each other, then turned to look at Roxas. He merely looked back at them, his eyes sad, as they gasped for breath.

* * *

Sora dropped to one knee, panting. He wasn't going to make it. Even if he could reach the café up the road, there was no way he'd be back in three minutes. He shook his head, cursing his own stupidity and overconfidence. Had he expected the Keyblade of Twilight to be on display in front of him as soon as he entered the portal? Or maybe he'd expected the new Keyblade master to greet him with open arms!

So, what now? He supposed he'd better swallow his pride and get back to the portal while he still could. Donald and Goofy could help him come up with a different plan…hopefully one that didn't result in his feeling stretched like a rubber band. His entire body tingled with pins and needles, like a foot that had been asleep and was just starting to come painfully to life once more.

Sighing, Sora began to turn…and then he heard the screams. They were coming from the top of the hill just up the road, echoing in the still air before dying away as quickly as they had come. Sora's eyes widened. He knew one of those voices… _"Kairi?"_

All thoughts of the portal vanished, and he turned back up the street and ran as hard as he could, ignoring the pain that coursed through him.

* * *

_Apparently I am in a great deal of trouble with some people for being so mean to Sora in this chapter. ;) Please don't kill me, everyone! Anyway, more drama is ahead. Chapter 27 is finished and is just awaiting beta reading before I post it._


	27. The Keyblade of Twilight

**_The Road to Dawn_**  
_By Ariana Aislinn_  
_Chapter 27: The Keyblade of Twilight_

_Well, here it is. Many thanks, again, to Megumi and Perhelediel for beta-reading this! I especially could not do this without Megumi's help, because she's so good at helping me find plot inconsistencies and awkward phrasing, things like that. I hope you like this chapter - we're going to pick up the pace soon, with more action!_

_Standard disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts and its characters are the property of Square-Enix and Disney, not me._

* * *

Kairi's heartbeat gradually slowed, and she gulped for breath, staring at Naminé and Roxas. Naminé closed her eyes, tears welling up and spilling down her cheeks.

"Naminé?" Roxas' voice was concerned. "Come on, look at me. Open your eyes, okay?"

She scrubbed at her face with her hand. "Oh, Roxas, I'm sorry! If I hadn't strayed from home, then none of this…" She choked back a sob.

"Shh," Roxas told her, hugging her around the shoulders. "It would have happened anyway. We might have been caught in the middle of it, and we might not have. What's the point in asking why, though? That was eleven years ago, and we were just kids." He sighed. "I spent most of those years blaming myself, you know. I think Mom and Dad blamed me too, even though they never said it."

Kairi shook her head in confusion. "So…Roxas, Naminé is your sister?"

He nodded. "Yeah…we're twins." He sighed. "That wasn't all that happened, of course…that day was just the beginning of it all. The whole town was overrun by the Heartless after they got through with us, and a lot of people died that day, or were turned into Nobodies. No one could figure out just what was wrong with Naminé, and she slept for two days straight. When she woke up, it seemed as if everything was fine, but then…" He sighed. "Well, anyway, I think that's most of the memories. There's still a little missing, but…we'll get to it in a second. I think you two need a breather."

Naminé continued to cry, but now a shaky smile spread across her face as she clung to Roxas, who was beginning to look distinctly embarrassed. "All this time, I thought I had no family…and now…"

"Yeah, well…" He shrugged. "Come on, sit up straight. You doing okay?"

She sighed, letting Roxas go and taking a deep breath. "I'm fine, I think." She smiled. "The memories were just so…intense."

"I told you they might be. That was a…difficult day for all of us."

Kairi frowned. "I don't really understand what happened, though."

"Well, DiZ told you about shadows, right Kairi?" When she nodded, Roxas continued. "I know what the Organization told you, Naminé - that you were Kairi's shadow, and that meant you weren't a whole person - but a shadow really is a person in its own right. The Twilight World is a sort of reflection of Kairi's world, and that sometimes goes for people, too. It was pure chance that Kairi appeared right next to her own shadow."

"I think I understand," Naminé said slowly, "but what happened, when the light came pouring out of Kairi?"

Roxas shrugged. "I'm not exactly sure. DiZ thinks it might be because Kairi's a princess of heart. That means she has a very pure heart, filled with light. The light might have been a…defensive reaction, I guess, but it reacted funny because she was holding her shadow's hand. She was very little and her power wasn't very strong, so it didn't last long, and when it came rushing back into her, that's when part of her heart bonded with yours, Naminé. That's something we need to restore to Kairi, along with her memories, once your own heart is whole again."

The hedges that lined the lawn in front of DiZ's mansion rustled softly. None of the three took any notice, so intent were they on Roxas and his explanation of that long-ago evening.

"But…there's one thing I don't understand. Why didn't Naminé or I lose our hearts when we were attacked? I mean, I saw the Heartless attack us, and then they went for…" Kairi's voice trailed off.

"For me." Roxas nodded. "That is, me and-"

"Axel," Kairi said softly.

"Yes, Axel." Roxas sighed.

"But…what was he _doing_ there?"

"He's a member of Organization Thirteen," Naminé said thoughtfully, "but so were the - the Exes, the strangers who'd come to Twilight Town. I recognized them, in the memory - Larxene, Demyx, Xigbar, Vexen, and all the rest. Axel wasn't one of them, though."

"No, he wasn't," said Roxas, "but I'm not sure I could tell you exactly _who_ he was. It's…a long story, and I don't really know all of it." He looked uncomfortable.

"It's part of my memories, isn't it?" asked Kairi.

Roxas nodded. "We're not ready to restore them yet, though."

"Right, we still have to figure out what happened after we passed out." Naminé eyed Roxas, unwilling to let the matter drop.

"Okay, fine!" Roxas made a face. "All right, here's what you probably don't know. A long time ago, DiZ explained to me what happens when a defenseless person is attacked by Heartless. In your world, Kairi, the darkness will invade a person's heart, drawing it out of the body, where it can be consumed by the Heartless. A new Heartless is born, and the victim's body vanishes. In the Twilight World, though, it works differently. The darkness doesn't separate the heart from the body - instead, it invades the heart and devours it, leaving it damaged, a broken, empty shell. The heart is still there, so the victim still lives - but with a lifeless and empty heart. In the Twilight World, someone consumed by darkness doesn't turn into a Heartless - they become a Nobody."

"So _that's_ what a Nobody is." Naminé sighed sadly. "I remember…there were Nobodies running around town for a few days afterward, before they were finally defeated. A lot of townspeople were turned into Nobodies in the attack."

"Right, and a lot of people thought that's what happened to DiZ, too. Most of his servants and staff met the same fate - either that, or they ran away and never came back. A few people went to go check on the mansion a few days later, but all they found was a trail of blood and a few Nobodies still hiding out in the wreckage. So they high-tailed it out of there and never returned."

Naminé stared at him. "Wait…DiZ? DiZ is Lord Dumos?"

Roxas nodded. "The ruler of Twilight Town, yeah."

"Oh…so that's why he suddenly showed up at Castle Oblivion that day, wanting my help. I always wondered who he was and how he knew about me. No one else ever knew I existed."

Roxas smiled. "Lots of people know, Naminé, and most have never forgotten you. Eventually, when this is all over, you can come back here, and we'll go see Mom and Dad."

Naminé looked at him sadly. "We can't today, can we?"

He shook his head. "No. It would just…raise questions. Look, Naminé, no one here knows that DiZ is still alive, and no one knows I work for him. For that matter, no one here has any idea what's going on in the outside world, and I'm not sure they'd care if they did. Well, it's not that they wouldn't care, it's just that they wouldn't be able to see how they could do anything to help, or even if they should. The attack really shook them, you know. Twilight Town had been peaceful for hundreds of years, and then when people started dying left and right…well, you can imagine."

"Yes, I can." Naminé nodded. "All right then…I'd probably be much too nervous to go see them, anyway. We're getting off the subject, though, Roxas. You were telling us what happens to someone whose heart is taken by darkness in the Twilight World, but you didn't tell us why that _didn't_ happen to us - or to you."

Roxas winced. "Well, it didn't happen to you because, uh…well, the Heartless got to the Exes first, as you saw. Their bodies were left intact, but their hearts were destroyed. I'm not exactly sure how they kept their human forms - the townspeople who turned into Nobodies didn't - but I wouldn't be surprised if it had something to do with the strength of their hearts and of their own powers. DiZ said that to even get here, they must have had powerful magic of their own."

"But it wasn't enough to save them," Kairi murmured sadly.

"No, it wasn't. What's more, with their hearts destroyed, they lost who they had once been. They lost their ability to feel as humans do, and now they can only want and desire."

"And then?" pressed Kairi. "After they got the Exes, they came after us."

"Right, but then the light poured out of you and drove them back…and then, Axel rushed in and distracted the Heartless before they could recover from the light." Roxas swallowed hard. "DiZ - Lord Dumos - showed up, firing spells at them, but that's when it all went wrong. I'm not sure what happened, exactly, but uh - my heart sort of…got torn in two."

Naminé stared at him, her eyes wide. "But…how?"

Roxas shrugged. "No idea. It might have been DiZ - Lord Dumos - and his spells, interfering with the darkness, or it might have been Kairi's light, or it might have been Axel's magic. Maybe it was all of them. Anyway, when the darkness tried to take our hearts, a part of my heart was stolen from me. I'm not sure how it happened, but I do know…that was the moment Darkside was created."

Kairi shivered. "Darkside?"

"Yeah, the Superior…the leader of Organization Thirteen. Both a Nobody and a creature of darkness, he's the one who eventually united the other Nobodies - the Exes - under him to create the Organization. Somehow he got hold of a piece of my heart." Roxas swallowed uncomfortably. "That's how he's able to control me, and it's why I have to be careful never to get close to anywhere he might be. That's why DiZ wouldn't let me go with him to Destiny Islands - because the moment I got close to Darkside, he'd take me over again and I'd turn on everyone."

"And that's the reason you erased my memories," Naminé said sadly.

Roxas nodded. "That happened a while later, but yeah. I never would have done it, but Darkside forced me."

"So what happened after we all lost consciousness?" asked Kairi. "Did DiZ run the Heartless off?"

"No, he was too badly hurt." Roxas shook his head. "He stumbled back to the mansion before he passed out…but by that time the Heartless had begun to leave, heading down the hill and into the town. DiZ told me that he was on the other side of the gate, leaning against a hedge and trying to catch his breath, when he saw what happened next." Roxas closed his eyes. "There we were, the four of us, lying on the ground unconscious, and the Heartless were streaming away from us. That was when Ansem showed up."

Kairi started. "Ansem?"

"Yeah. There he was, silver hair, tanned skin, golden eyes - I swear, he looked just like he could be DiZ's twin, except for the hair. In fact, he's DiZ's shadow, I'm sure of it. Funny - at least two people met their shadows in Twilight Town that day. I've never been able to figure out if it was just coincidence or not. Anyway, he picked you up, Kairi, grabbing your hand and yanking it away from Naminé's, and another portal opened up in the hedges. He hauled Axel to his feet - I think he was starting to wake up then, but he was really groggy - and he pushed him through the portal, then he just _dumped_ you through after him, Kairi. DiZ was pretty angry when he told me all that. I think he started to hate Ansem from the first time he saw him, because of that - long before he knew about the experiments and the powers of darkness. Anyway, just before Ansem went through the portal, he realized the Exes were still lying there, and I guess he got curious. He picked them up like they were nothing, even the biggest of them, and just shoved them through the portal, too. After that, Ansem followed, but there was some kind of…dark mist following him, I guess. At least, that's what DiZ said - he said it was Darkside, just beginning to take form. As soon as Ansem was through, the portal disappeared…so, when the townspeople found us later on, it was just me and Naminé, lying there in the middle of the grass. DiZ was the only one who saw the whole thing, or most of it, and he almost died from his wounds in the attack."

Kairi shook her head. "I just don't get it. What was Ansem doing there, and what did he want - " she swallowed - "with me?"

A strange sound came from the direction of the hedges - like a sharp intake of breath. The three of them turned to look, peering into the brush. "Who's there?" Roxas called. "Come on out and show yourself!" He turned to the girls and whispered, "I sure hope it's not Pence, snooping around. He's always been a little too interested in the 'haunted mansion' on top of the hill, and I have a heck of a time keeping him from finding out about DiZ."

Kairi frowned, looking carefully at the bushes, where she could just make out what appeared to be someone sitting down on the ground, then getting up, carefully and slowly. Then, with soft, slow footsteps, a familiar form came out from behind the hedge. "Kairi…?" he called hesitantly.

Kairi's heart caught in her throat as she found herself looking at a face she had seen so many times in her dreams. Getting to her feet, she rushed forward, running across the grass and almost knocking Sora over as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He staggered, grabbing onto a branch to steady himself. His arms went around Kairi in response, and he buried his face in her hair.

"You're safe," Kairi whispered. "I had no idea where you were, and Naminé didn't know where you'd gone after you left Castle Oblivion, and…" Her voice caught, and she couldn't continue.

"I'm sorry I took so long, Kairi." His voice was soft, and he took a deep, slow breath, hugging her tightly. Then Sora leaned back, holding her at arm's length. He grinned. "But what about you? Last I heard, you were safe and sound on Destiny Islands! What on earth are you _doing_ here?"

"That's…a long story." She gave him a wavering smile of her own.

Sora released Kairi, but took her hand in his own. Their fingers intertwined, they walked back to join the others. "Well, I heard part of it. What's this about restoring memories?" His eyes met Naminé's, and he smiled. "Hi, Naminé! It's good to see you again. So, what's been happening here?"

Naminé managed a hesitant smile, but she shuffled her feet uncomfortably. Sora seemed completely oblivious to the strained look in her eyes as she answered quietly, "A…lot has been going on. It's good to see you too, though, Sora. I'm glad to see you found a way off Crossroads."

"Ah, yeah…" Sora grinned. "I guess someone told our friends in Hollow Bastion we needed a ride."

Kairi straightened. "You were in Hollow Bastion?"

Sora nodded. "Yeah, Goofy and Donald are still there. Everyone says hi! …At least, I'm sure they would if they had any idea I was going to see you." He just looked at Kairi for a long moment, smiling as if he still couldn't quite believe he was seeing her, either.

Roxas simply grinned outright, in his typical casual way. "Hi, Sora…it's good to finally meet you."

Sora blinked and smiled back, a bit confused. "Uh…hi, Roxas, was it?"

Roxas nodded. "You got it. So…just how long were you standing over there?"

Sora colored. "Oh, whoops! Was I eavesdropping? I didn't mean to, I just stopped to catch my breath, and then I didn't want to interrupt - " He glanced at Kairi, then looked away again, his cheeks a little flushed. Naminé couldn't help but smile in spite of herself.

"Nah, it's fine." Roxas shrugged, unconcerned. "Actually, I'm glad you were there; it makes things easier. How much did you hear?"

"Hmm." Sora frowned, thinking, as he and Kairi sat down next to the others, their hands still joined. He wobbled almost imperceptibly as he lowered himself onto the grass. "I was there long enough to hear you explain about Nobodies, and what happens to a heart overtaken by darkness in this world. I know that somehow or other, this Heartless attack you were talking about was what created the Nobodies who make up the Organization, including their Superior, Darkside…and that…something happened to the three of you in the middle of all this." He looked away for a moment, swallowing hard, then looked back at Kairi again, as if reassuring himself that she was still there. "Am I right so far?"

"Sounds about right." Roxas nodded.

"So…what are all of you doing here, anyway?" Sora asked. "Kairi was back on Destiny Islands, last I heard, and Naminé was in Castle Oblivion."

"Roxas brought us here, to restore Naminé's memories. Naminé is my shadow, Sora, and she's the only one who can restore my own memories." Kairi sighed to herself, a little unsure if she truly wanted her memories back after what she'd already seen.

"Wait…what do you mean, Kairi?" Sora looked concerned. "How did you lose your memory? When was this?" He turned to look at Naminé, a pained expression on his face. The hurt in his eyes made her look away. "You erased her memories, too? But…why would you do that, Naminé?"

Roxas held up his hands placatingly. "Hey, don't look so upset, Sora. It happened a long time ago, and Naminé doesn't even remember it - not yet. We restored most of her memories, but the rest are going to take a little time to come back. She was only four, y'see, and Darkside made her do it…right before he made me erase Naminé's memories, too. It's a very long story. Trust me, though, we're going to make everything right again. You'll see."

"I don't entirely get it, myself." Kairi sighed. "I saw the memories as Naminé was reliving them, but I won't actually remember it all till my own memories are restored, I guess. But…what I don't really understand is how I got here, back on the day of the attack. Was it Ansem? And why did he do it? What happened after he took me away again?" She sighed. "I know he was the king of Hollow Bastion, and I know that's where I lived before I came to the Destiny Islands, but beyond that I really don't remember anything. It's all just a blank."

"Um, Kairi…" Sora looked uncomfortable. "There's something I've gotta tell you about Ansem. You might remember it, if your memory was restored, though. So, uh…do you want to hear it now, or would you rather wait till you get your memories back?"

Kairi thought for a moment, then shook her head. "I don't want to wait. I'm…not sure I'm ready for everything to come rushing back at once, after what I've seen already, and…I'd rather you tell me what you know first, Sora." She smiled at him so warmly that he couldn't help but smile back. "I think it'd be easier to hear it from you."

Sora squeezed her hand and took a deep breath. "Well…okay, here goes. First of all, I came here from Hollow Bastion. Leon and the others came to get us from Gateway - I guess DiZ told them we needed a ride. Anyway, we were looking through the library at Hollow Bastion, trying to find some leads so we could figure out where we should go next, and Donald and Goofy found one of Ansem's old journals. I sat down to read it while they took a break, and that's when I found this old entry that talked about some of his early experiments. Remember before, when we found a bunch of pages from Ansem's reports?"

Kairi nodded. "I think so. You showed some of them to me back in Traverse Town."

"Well, in those reports he talked about his experiments with the Heartless. This journal took it a bit further. First of all, he was studying portals made from darkness, and how he could use them to travel between worlds…but he was also studying the World of Twilight, I guess, and how darkness could affect a person there - I mean, here. He seemed sure he could use the powers of darkness here without being consumed by them and turning into a Heartless…but from what I overheard Roxas saying, he was dead wrong. He wouldn't have lost his heart, but it wouldn't have been much different than if he had."

"It looks as if that experiment never went anywhere, then, because Ansem ended up turning into a Heartless anyway."

"Right." Sora nodded to Naminé. "He did turn into a Heartless…but he managed to keep hold of his own will. But before all that he had an experiment planned, and I think he went through with it." He looked at Kairi sadly. "Ansem wrote in his journal how he was going to create a portal and send a test subject to the World of Twilight. Then he'd send Heartless to attack the subject and see what happened, to test his theory. He was…" Sora swallowed. "He was planning to send you, Kairi. And from the sound of things, that's exactly what he did."

Kairi stared at him. "But…_why?_"

Sora shook his head sadly. "You were an easy target - weak, helpless, perfect for what he needed. He said in his notes that a little girl wouldn't be able to fight off the darkness on her own, so he'd get to see firsthand what happened to you in the Twilight World. He was wrong, though - if his experiment had worked as intended, you'd be a Nobody now. But there were some things he hadn't counted on, either."

Naminé nodded. "Right. Me, Roxas, DiZ, and the Exes…Axel, too."

"So…" Kairi said slowly, "Ansem sent me here, and after everything went wrong, he carried me out again - back to Hollow Bastion, probably. But…why me?"

Sora sighed. "That's the other part of it. Leon finally spilled the beans about Ansem, Kairi. You know how he was the king of Hollow Bastion, before he went over to darkness and left the place in Maleficent's clutches?" She nodded. "Well, remember how we found out that you're a princess of heart? They meant it literally, Kairi. Ansem was…well, he was your uncle."

Kairi stared at him. "My uncle?" Her stomach seemed to knot in sudden revulsion.

Sora nodded. "Yeah, your mom's brother, according to Leon. So when Ansem was looking for a subject for his experiments…you were easy to get to, I suppose."

That seemed to make sense. Kairi twisted a blade of grass in her fingers as the silence stretched out between them.

"Are you…are you angry?"

She blinked at him in surprise, then smiled. "Oh, Sora, why would I be?"

He grinned hesitantly. "I dunno. It's just…well, it's not an easy thing to hear."

"No, it's not…but Roxas already warned me that the memories I've forgotten could be painful ones." She shrugged. "It's nothing you did, Sora, and I know you don't like to be the bearer of bad news…but thank you. I appreciate that you wanted to tell me the truth."

They exchanged smiles for a moment, before Kairi turned to Naminé and Roxas. "There's more, isn't there?"

Roxas nodded in assent. "You got it, lots more. And I can tell you already feel like your head's going to explode."

Kairi gave him a wry grin. "That's one way of putting it."

Naminé sighed. "Roxas, don't you think it can wait? Haven't we had enough of this for one day? Besides, Sora only just got here, and we've been doing nothing but talking his ear off. He looks so tired, too - like he's going to fall over any minute now."

Roxas frowned. "Hey, you're right, Naminé. Sora, how'd you get here, anyway? Did someone send you through a portal or something?"

Sora muttered to himself - they'd noticed. The tingling feeling had not improved, and his head was starting to buzz. "Well, uh…I sort of used Ansem's notes to figure out how to create a portal of my own - not with darkness, but using the Keyblade. It seems to have worked." He grinned.

Roxas did not return the grin. "It worked, if you mean that it got you here…but there are side effects when you don't use the power of twilight, you idiot!" He sighed in exasperation.

"Well, how was I to know?"

"Fine, I get your point, but this really puts us in a bind. DiZ would know the best way to deal with this, but he's gone now, and we don't know when he'll be back." Roxas got to his feet, muttering under his breath. "Well, let's get you inside, at any rate. It's getting on towards dinnertime anyway, so maybe we can scrounge up some food."

"Sora, what's wrong? Are you okay?" Worry touched Kairi's voice as she helped him get to his feet.

Sora wobbled unsteadily and put a hand to his head, but he grinned, trying to look unconcerned. "Of course I'm okay! Nothing a little rest won't cure."

As the four of them stood, they froze, hearing a low rumble in the distance. The sky grew dim as the last of the sun's rays slipped beyond the horizon, and they realized they could hear the uneven staccato of a great many footsteps making their way up the hill to DiZ's mansion.

"Heartless," Sora said grimly.

"Are you sure?" Naminé frowned.

"I'd know that sound anywhere." The Keyblade appeared in his hand, taking the intricate, silver-white form of the Oathkeeper. "Everyone, get behind me!"

Roxas swore under his breath. "You idiot! Damn it, you can hardly stand, and you expect to fight? What are you thinking?"

"Have you got a better idea?"

"I'm sure I could think of one if you gave me a second, instead of jumping in and letting your adrenaline think for you!"

"Hey, calm down, both of you!" Kairi scowled. "Roxas, is there a way for us to get out of here?"

He shook his head. "No. The road's a dead end up here, so the only way out is through the Heartless. We could head into the mansion and try to barricade the door, but that wouldn't hold them for long."

"We can't take a portal out of here?"

"DiZ thinks we're safe, remember? He won't come looking for us for several days, at least, and he's the only one who could create a portal."

Sora shrugged. "I guess fighting's the only way. I know it's not a very _good_ plan, Roxas - but it looks like the only one we've got. All of you, get inside and bar the doors. I'll buy you some time."

Roxas threw his hands in the air and stomped forward to stand next to Sora. "Fine, if you're going to be stupid about it, I'll just have to join you."

"Can you fight without a weapon?"

"No, but why should that stop me? You can't fight either, not in your condition!" He scowled irritably. "We're just going to have to make a stand together."

Naminé started forward. "But how is that going to-" She froze. A brilliant golden light appeared before Roxas, engulfing his forearms. His eyes went wide, and he took a step backwards. The light faded, and he found himself holding a Keyblade, its hilt a polished silver and its blade a bright, burnished gold.

Sora couldn't help but laugh. "The Keyblade of Twilight! That's why I came here - I was looking for it, or for its bearer. Guess I found both!"

Roxas frowned. "No. That's not right, it's…" He sighed. "Oh well, I'm not gonna throw it away now, not when it can help us." He mimicked Sora's fighting stance, holding his Keyblade at the ready.

The footsteps were growing closer, and the first Heartless crested the hill. To their surprise, however, they were not just Heartless - silver-gray shapes were mixed in amid the mass as well, winding and undulating up the cobblestone road.

"Nobodies," Roxas whispered, the color draining from his face. "That means…"

A portal appeared, swirling blackness shot with purple, and a tall figure wrapped in a black, leather coat emerged. His hood was up, hiding his features from view, but they could see the faint green glint of his eyes. The man spotted Roxas and grinned, his teeth flashing faintly from within the hood. "Ah…DiZ's apprentice. Good to see you again, kid."

Roxas glared at him. "Darkside."

* * *

_Aww, Sora and Kairi - finally! And it only took 27 chapters to get them back together. :P I suppose I don't need to kill myself getting chapter 28 posted soon, but it's been a while since I wrote my first draft of it and I almost can't believe it still isn't up. I thought I finally had it finished, but Megumi pointed out a bunch of major logical inconsistencies, so I have some editing and rewriting to do yet. But...I will say that it has had some serious impact with my beta readers so far, so hopefully everyone else will like it! (I guess. Please, Megumi, put down the pitchfork. Please! I'm sorry, already! XD I'll make it up to you!)_


	28. Heart's Release

**_The Road to Dawn_**  
_By Ariana Aislinn_  
_Chapter 28: Heart's Release_

_Yet again, I need to thank my beta readers - but this time so much more! Thanks to Perhelediel for doing the first reading and helping me get an idea of the initial reaction, and huge thanks to Megumi for putting up with my repeated requests for her to read and reread the chapter until it was absolutely perfect. I think I've finally come up with something that's fairly close to perfect...hopefully!_

_One important thing before we get to the chapter - I committed a terrible fanfic faux pas. I changed my mind about something I've already posted. I had been waffling back and forth on how to present Darkside, and I finally made a decision about his personality - but that meant I needed to go back and edit all the chapters that previously had him in them, to fix his speech. If you're interested, you can go back and reread chapters 19, 22, and 23 to see what I've changed...or just read on to see what he's like here! I hope it all works._

_Well, on to the chapter...even if I am the author and all (and therefore very biased), I still do think you're in for a real treat!_

_Standard disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts and its characters are the property of Square-Enix and Disney, not me._

* * *

"How'd you get here, Darkside? And what is it you want _this_ time?" Roxas spat the words out, disgust in his expression - but also fear. Kairi couldn't help but notice that his hands trembled as he held the Keyblade.

"How did I get here? Come on, Roxas - you know I control the powers of darkness. Fortunately, it turns out the powers of twilight aren't much different, if you just work at it long enough."

"Yeah, but your control sucks."

"Laugh at your own risk, kid." Darkside shrugged. "That toy of yours won't do you much good. Remember the last time we fought?" He grinned. "I didn't realize how much you enjoyed being completely thrashed. I can't think of any other reason you'd dare stand in my way."

"Well, I guess I'm just an idiot then, huh? Still, I think _you're_ the bigger idiot, since you were stupid enough to come back here."

"Empty threats, and you know it." Darkside's eyes flashed from within the hood, and he swept his gaze across the little group. "Naminé - I'm surprised to see you here." Barely restrained fury touched his voice. "I think it's high time you returned home."

Naminé shook her head, raising her chin defiantly. "I _am_ home, Darkside." She smiled. "No one can take that away from me, either, though you certainly tried to."

"Well, you do what you have to." He shrugged casually. "But we don't have time to chat - I've got a lot to do, and if you have any brains at all, Roxas, you'll stop waving that thing at me. I have no idea where you got it, but you're sure as hell not going to stop me, not when I'm so close to the Door to Darkness."

"Door to Darkness?" Sora turned to Roxas. "But it's locked. There's no way he can open it," he whispered.

"Not the same way Ansem did, no," Roxas muttered, "but there might be other ways."

The malicious grin was audible in Darkside's voice, who had apparently overheard them. "Oh, I think you underestimate Ansem…and me. It's not so hard to reopen the Door to Darkness, so long as you can find the right place to do it. Now, come on, out of my way. I've got business in the mansion."

"You'll never be able to do it, even if you get inside." Roxas gritted his teeth, gripping the Keyblade tightly.

Sora nodded in agreement. "If you think you can open the Door to Darkness, you're wrong! You'll never get what you need."

"What, you mean the princesses?" Darkside's voice was mocking. "Haven't you heard about my new friends?" He gestured, and suddenly darkness rose up behind him, forming into a swirling mass that coalesced into a line of silhouettes. Sora started, realizing he had seen this before - Riku had once created a shadow version of Sora and set it to fight him. These shadows, however, bore the silhouetted shapes of the six princesses he had met in his travels.

Darkside turned his gaze on Kairi. "I was going to create _seven_ assistants from the darkness, but my luck today is just far too good to be believed. It looks as if I'll have a true princess after all, to guide me in using the other princesses' power. It's good to see you again, Kairi. Your grandmother is very worried about you, you know." He _tsked_ disapprovingly. "Maybe I should take you back to her? Of course, before I do, I need you to focus the princesses' power for me." Darkside stepped towards Kairi, but Sora slid into place before him, the Keyblade raised defensively as he glared fiercely at the man. Darkside laughed. "Tell me, Keyblade master - do you know what's most essential to opening the Door to Light?" He took another slow step forward, obviously taking pleasure in drawing this out as long as possible. "You, boy. The first of the Keyblade masters. You're the one destined to open the door, so if I want that door to remain sealed…" He laughed menacingly.

"Not gonna happen, Darkside!" Roxas spat out.

"What, you think you can stop me?" Darkside shook his head. "I have no time for you, kid. Here, go play." He snapped his fingers, and a group of Nobodies broke ranks, swarming toward Roxas.

Roxas brought the Keyblade up, deflecting the first attack. Sora ran forward to assist him, slashing out at a Nobody with his own Keyblade.

Darkside laughed. "Wonderful - you two just have fun while I take care of business." He turned to look at Sora. "As you said, Keyblade master, opening the Door to Darkness won't be easy - especially since you sealed it. In addition to the princesses' power - which was no easy feat to duplicate, I'll tell you - and your friend Kairi to guide their power, I'll need a Keyblade, and a Keyblade master." He grinned maliciously, obviously enjoying himself. "It's all the same to me whether you come willingly or not." Another snap of his fingers, and more Nobodies rose up out of the ground, their silver bodies undulating closer to Sora, Roxas, and the two girls.

The four of them were surrounded, now, with Darkside standing to one side, obviously toying with them as he casually watched them fight the horde of attacking silver forms. Roxas struck out with the Keyblade of Twilight, handling it awkwardly but managing to hold his own, at least for the moment. Sora followed suit with his own Keyblade, while Kairi flung weak reflection spells around them. Though designed to deflect magic, they seemed to have some limited ability to shield against physical attacks, as well. It didn't take long for the spells to fail, however, and Kairi had to leap back as the first few shattered like breaking glass under the Nobody assault.

"Kairi," Sora panted, trying to push back the agonizing hum in his limbs as he fought, "get behind me!"

She nodded as Sora struck out at the Nobodies, closing the distance between them. She joined him, and they stood back to back as they fought. Sora winced, trying to ignore the pain from his badly-planned trip through twilight, and Kairi threw spells breathlessly, her heart pounding.

"Get out of here, Sora," panted Roxas, inexpertly managing to take down another Nobody just before it reached Naminé, who was attempting to fend off another small group of Nobodies with her sketchbook.

"But - he's going to reopen the Door to Darkness!" Sora protested.

"Right, but you heard what he said - he needs Kairi to do it, and he also needs you. He needs a princess, a Keyblade, and a Keyblade master, and all of those are right here. If you leave, _now,_ he can't open the door! Look, I've never done it before, but…with the Keyblade I think I can make enough of a portal for you to get through. But you've gotta hurry, so take Naminé and Kairi and go!"

"But - " Sora's protest was cut off as he struck out at yet another Nobody. _These things move way too fast!_ he thought to himself in frustration.

"Naminé, get _out_ of here!" Roxas yelled. The girl brought down her sketchbook on a Nobody's head, stunning it long enough for Roxas to take it out. She merely shook her head, ignoring him as he tried to push her in Sora's direction with his free hand.

Sora heard a scream. Whirling about, he saw a line of Heartless forming right between him and Kairi. They advanced on her, driving her back toward the gate to the mansion. Shaken, she threw a few weak reflection spells at them, but the spells didn't hold long before the creatures' dark claws broke through. Sora hesitated, glancing at Roxas and Naminé, who were barely holding back the Nobodies.

Darkside laughed. "What'll you do, kid? Oh, choices, choices! Who to aid?"

Roxas grabbed Sora by the collar and shoved him in Kairi's direction. "Go on, go help her out. I'll get Naminé to follow while I buy you time."

Sora held his ground, though he stared with clenched teeth at Kairi as she threw more spells in front of her, blocking the Heartless attacks - for the moment. "We can't leave you behind, Roxas."

"Yes, you _can._" Roxas slashed through the throng of Nobodies, pushing them back, then leaned in close to Sora. "I already told you, Sora - Darkside needs a _true_ Keyblade master. I'm getting tired of repeating myself. You're the one destined to open the Door to Light, and you're also able to open the Door to Darkness. Darkside will use that. And then, once the Door to Darkness is reopened - he'll kill you, Sora, to stop you from opening the Door to Light. If you stay here, you're dead…and so are the rest of us, sooner or later. You have to go, _now._"

Sora gave Roxas an agonized look, but Kairi let out another cry, and he whirled around. "I'm coming, Kairi! Hold on!" Darting forward, he slashed at the Nobodies and the Heartless that blocked his path, ignoring the steady hum that coursed through his body, making him stumble as he ran.

Just as one of Kairi's reflection spells shattered like glass, several of the Heartless surrounding her exploded into dark motes, cut by the filigree blade of Oathkeeper. Captive hearts rose from their dissipating bodies and vanished into the air. Sora slashed through the attacking mass, pushing them steadily back, his Keyblade a silver whirl.

Thus distracted, Sora was unprepared when Darkside suddenly strode forward through the seething throng of Nobodies and Heartless. Gesturing with his right hand, he sent out a wave of darkness that knocked Sora backward. Sora hit the ground and lay there, panting, his head spinning sickeningly. Something sharp struck him in the center of his chest, making him cry out in shock and pain. Clawing at his chest, he gripped the projectile, blinking at it. It was long and thin, and it seemed to have no physical mass - his fingers could barely hold onto its dark, misty form. He tried to pull it out, and it dissolved into nothingness, the dark mist spreading outward and dissipating. There seemed to be no physical wound, but Sora's body shook, the steady, jarring hum now clashing with a new sensation of numbing cold that slowly spread through him.

"A gift from Ansem," sneered Darkside. "A bit of concentrated darkness left over from one of his last experiments, before you killed him. You might recognize it - it was the core of the Dark Keyblade Ansem created while he was using your friend Riku's body."

Kairi flung out a hand in Darkside's direction. _"Reflection!"_ she cried, falling to her knees beside Sora. "Sora? What's happening?" she asked as she helped him to sit up.

From within the tightening circle of Nobodies, Roxas aimed the Keyblade, sweat pouring down his face. A weak beam of blue-violet light shot outward from it, striking the bushes a few paces away from Sora and Kairi. Where the light hit, a swirling portal began to take form, flickering unsteadily. _"Go now!"_ Roxas called, pushing Naminé toward them. The girl held her ground for a moment, shaking her head at him, but then she turned and fled, running across the grass toward Sora and Kairi, dodging Heartless and smacking them with her pencil bag or her sketchbook whenever they reached out for her.

"It's…_ngh_…the twilight, I think," gasped Sora, struggling to sit up on his own. From the other side of the ranks of attacking Heartless he could hear Darkside laughing. "It hurt at first, but now…I feel so cold. What - what _was_ that? Some kind of dark arrow?"

"Yeah…Darkside just held out a hand and fired it at you. It's…some kind of dark magic, I guess." Her eyes were worried as she crouched next to him. "Are you okay, Sora? Can you stand?"

"I…think I'll be all right. It's…the twilight portal left some kinda residue, and…the darkness is just making it worse." Sora rested his hand on Kairi's shoulder and pushed weakly, giving her what was obviously meant to be a reassuring smile. "Go on, go. I'll be right behind you."

Naminé slid past the wall of reflection spells and fell to her knees, panting, her heart beating wildly. "We've got to get out of here! The portal won't stay open long!"

"Come on, Sora!" Kairi started to get to her feet, tugging at his arm, but he shook his head, pulling away from her and falling back to lean on his elbows.

"No, Kairi, stop."

Kairi frowned. "Why won't you come? What aren't you telling me, Sora?"

"I…" His breath was labored, and he swallowed hard before continuing. "That - that thing Darkside hit me with - he's gotten that darkness inside me, somehow. I can feel it, and I…I think the darkness is winning." His breathing was more irregular now, coming in shallow, panting gasps. His heart was usually so strong, so filled with light, but now…the twilight residue seemed to have weakened him, somehow.

"Then we've got to get you out of here before - "

Sora shook his head. "No, Kairi. I can't…move, I can't get to the portal before it closes," he panted. "Did you hear what Darkside said? That…arrow came from the Keyblade that unlocks hearts." He paused, watching Kairi's face go pale as the implication sank in. "Listen, I need you to - to show me what you did, back in the Secret Place. How did…how did you release your heart?"

Kairi's blood ran cold as she realized what he was asking. "Sora - "

"Kairi, don't you see? It's the only way! Remember what Roxas said? A heart taken by darkness here is destroyed. I'd become a Nobody - I'd still be me, in a way, but my heart would be dead. It would be easy for Darkside to use me to open the Door to Darkness. But if all he can get his hands on is my body, he's stuck. It'll buy us time."

"We don't know if that'll work! You can't - "

"Kairi." Sora reached up and softly touched her cheek, smiling. "It _did_ work. I carried your heart inside me, remember? I know it's asking a lot, but…" He took a shuddering breath. "I want you to keep my heart safe for me. Will you do it? Please?" When she only shook her head in denial, Sora broke out into a familiar, goofy grin. "Trust me, it'll be okay. I promise. It's just for a little while, and then when it's safe, you can bring me back."

Several of the reflection spells shattered. Naminé cried out, smacking a Heartless with her sketchbook and kicking at another. Kairi's heart pounded. She had no idea how she could do this, even if she wanted to, but Sora was right - there was no time. A tear rolled down her cheek. "All right, Sora. I'll do it, for you."

"Thank you, Kairi," he whispered. His hand trembling, he reached down and detached the keychain from his Keyblade. Oathkeeper's silver form dissolved, returning to the Keyblade's usual golden handle and silver blade. Sora held out a star-shaped charm made of thalassa shells, sewn together with rough leather cord. "Here. I…promised I'd bring it back to you."

Their eyes met as Kairi slowly reached out to take the charm. Sora gave her a soft, wavering smile, and then Kairi impulsively caught him up in a hug, desperately clinging to him as if she would never let go. Shivering violently, he embraced her in return, his uneven breath soft on her shoulder.

Kairi squeezed her eyes tightly shut, the tears running down her face. Through her closed eyelids, she became aware of a soft light momentarily surrounding her. Suddenly there was a strange warmth in her chest, and she realized that Sora's body had gone limp in her arms.

Her eyes snapped open, and she shook him. "Sora? _Sora!_" But there was no response.

Kairi shook her head violently in denial, tears running down her face. Had it really happened? _Is…is his heart really inside me? I didn't even do anything, I…_ She tightened her arms around his still body. She could feel him take a slow, almost imperceptible breath…but there was no heartbeat.

"Kairi! I can't stop them any-" Naminé froze, her eyes going wide. On the other end of the lawn, Roxas finally struck down the last of the Nobodies, but as he stood there, panting to catch his breath, Darkside advanced on him. Roxas brought his Keyblade up, darting toward the figure hidden within the dark coat of the Organization, but his attack overshot. Darkside stepped forward, laughing, and gripped the boy's arm. The light seemed to go out of his eyes, and he stiffened. A moment later, the tip of the Keyblade dropped to the ground, and he stopped fighting, stopped moving. _"Roxas!"_ Naminé shouted.

Roxas was lost, Kairi realized, and she and Naminé would be, too, if they didn't hurry. Kairi grabbed the blonde girl's arm with her free hand and yanked it hard, turning and shoving her toward the portal. _"Run!"_ Kairi then tried to lift Sora, dragging him toward the portal, but he was heavier than he looked. Glancing back at the swirling oval, Kairi watched it flicker and realized she would never make it in time. A tear trickled down her cheek as she gently laid Sora's body down on the grass. A faint, shallow breath was the only sign of life in his body, which had gone still and cold.

Darkside advanced on them, leaving Roxas standing motionless behind him. With a snap of his fingers, more black Heartless and silver-gray Nobodies appeared, running forward to attack. Kairi backed toward the portal, watching as the attackers spilled over Sora's still form, rushing forward as if he weren't even there.

Kairi turned and fled, tears blurring her vision as she caught up to Naminé. Still clutching the star-shaped charm tightly, Kairi reached out with her free hand. The two girls clasped hands and ran through the portal, just before it vanished completely.

* * *

_SO...that's the big huge chapter that took so many rewrites to get right:P I hope I succeeded to everyone's satisfaction. I'm pretty happy with it...I tried to hold off on including too much melodrama, fluff, and sappiness until just the right time, so hopefully I picked the right time to really go overboard with it! The next chapter will take more time to get posted, since I've finally reached the end of the nine chapters I wrote over snow days. Which reminds me, I forgot to mention last week that it was the first anniversary of this fic! Wow, look at what I've written in a year...! Anyway, I know I sound like a broken record, but please do review if you have any thoughts or reactions to share with me. I love getting reviews, as it gives me an idea of whether or not I succeeded with the goal I had for the chapter. And with that...later all! (runs, dodging Megumi's pitchfork) I'm sorry, Megumi! But...I had to do it to Sora! I did! (flees)_


	29. Secrets of the Paopu

**_The Road to Dawn_**  
_By Ariana Aislinn_  
_Chapter 29: Secrets of the Paopu_

_Sorry I took so long with this! I have a bunch of chapters written, but it's taking me some time to beta and then edit everything. They're kinda messy, so please be patient! I'll get them up eventually. Thank you Koorino Megumi for beta-reading this chapter!_

_Standard disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts and its characters are the property of Square-Enix and Disney, not me._

* * *

The sun was setting on Palm Island as ranks of silver-white Nobodies moved across the sand, their bodies undulating with each step. The Dusks marched in their own peculiar way, following a man in the black leather coat of Organization Thirteen - this one with short, blond hair and small gold hoops in each ear. He grinned, idly shuffling and reshuffling a set of cards in his hands, as he paced leisurely across the sand and surveyed the villagers before him. The islanders stood in a line in front of the open-air stalls of the marketplace, most looking fearful and subdued. Nobody guards stood here and there, keeping an eye on the prisoners.

At one end of the line stood a young teenager, his blond hair sticking out every which way. His brow furrowed, and a determined look crossed his face as he furtively leaned backward and picked up a stray pole that had fallen from a market display. As the man in black neared him, he struck out with his makeshift weapon.

The man laughed, catching the pole easily in his hand. He wrenched it away from the teen, roughly knocking him into the sand. "Nice try, boy, but you shouldn't play the game if you don't know the rules. I'll let you in on a secret…" He leaned down, smirking. "The rules say I win."

Behind a line of bushes some yards away, Riku clenched his fist as he watched Tidus struggle to get up, still staring Luxord down defiantly. He found himself involuntarily rising to his feet, but DiZ put a gloved hand on his shoulder, pushing him back down. "Not now," the man whispered. "We must make plans first." He beckoned to Riku and began to slip away from the bushes, still crouched low. Riku sighed and followed.

"Looks like they've been to several of the residential islands, too." Riku shook his head as he straightened and leaned against a palm tree, once they'd rounded the curve of the island and were relatively safe from detection. "You already told me they'd been to Star Island and captured Kairi's grandmother…do we know where she is?"

DiZ nodded. "I have a suspicion. I think they are using your Secret Place as a base."

Riku muttered under his breath. "Those low sons of - " Managing to restrain himself, he sighed. "So, what's our plan?"

"Hmm." DiZ stared thoughtfully out at the sea for a moment. "We have a few advantages, not the least of which is the element of surprise. There may only be two of us, but the Organization is not expecting any kind of real resistance on these islands. They are hoping merely to scare their captives into submission."

"So…we fight?"

"Possibly…but we must take care. We will need magic, I think." DiZ smiled. "I think we need to pay a visit to Waterfall Island."

"But if they've got Gran there, they'll be guarding her." Riku, like most of the other islanders, always called the old woman Gran. Ever since the night of the meteor shower when she and Kairi had first arrived on Destiny Islands, she had always acted as a grandmother to everyone, and even Riku had come to have a certain affection for her. "What, we're just going to walk up and say hi?"

"Not exactly what I had in mind. I believe we can wait for an opportune moment, however, and get close enough to speak with her while her captors sleep. A carefully crafted reflection spell should do the trick to keep us from being seen."

Riku frowned. "Okay…but how are we going to hold a conversation without waking up the Organization guys? That one back there certainly doesn't miss a trick."

DiZ smiled, showing his teeth - they were extremely white against his dark skin, and they showed all the more next to his red bandages. "No, he doesn't - so we wait until someone else is on guard duty. We may be able to slip past the young musician more easily, should they set him to watching Kairi's grandmother."

"What, Demyx?" Riku nodded slowly. "Yeah, that could work. But…if we did that, why not just make a break for it with Gran?"

DiZ shook his head. "Unwise. If we failed to get her out, we would have given away our presence on the islands, and the other islanders might be in danger of retribution if we succeeded. No, we need to make certain that the Destiny Islands are entirely safe."

Riku sighed in frustration. "Yeah, I know Tidus likes to sword fight with us, and he's pretty good - but no one on the islands has ever dealt with a real attack before, so even my friends wouldn't be too good at defending themselves - like you saw. We'd better make sure they're okay before we plan a major move, I guess. So…we wait for dark and see who they've got on guard duty?"

DiZ nodded. "The past two nights they have followed the same pattern - one of them stays with Kairi's grandmother while the other two go out on reconnaissance. Tonight, since they have made a full capture of Palm Island, I am certain one of them will remain here to keep an eye on the prisoners."

"Right. So…we leave?"

DiZ responded by extending his hand and creating a swirling portal of twilight power. They had decided earlier that although there was a small chance the Organization could detect a portal, it would be more difficult to hide a boat and to row from one island to the next without being seen. There was also the element of time, and they needed to move quickly.

Seconds later they had emerged on Waterfall Island - in fact, DiZ had sent them directly to Riku's island. Riku took a deep breath, looking around at the palm trees with their familiar, curving trunks. Tidus' extra wooden sword even lay on the ground; he was always forgetting it. For a moment, homesickness bubbled up within Riku, and he swallowed back a lump in his throat. "It'll be dark soon," he said gruffly, trying to push back the flood of emotion. He cleared his throat - much better - and gestured to the last fiery speck of light out over the water as the sun slipped beyond the horizon.

"Yes. Now, we wait. Within an hour we will know who is on guard duty for tonight, Demyx or Saïx."

"This Saïx guy…we don't want to run into him, right?"

DiZ shook his head. "Not if we can help it. He may not officially be second in command, but he follows Darkside in all things and is a capable strategist. He will be a hard one to fool."

Riku nodded and crept toward the seaside shack, peering out over the roof to look down at the entrance to the Secret Place. The warm glow of firelight emanated from the little cavern, flickering softly.

They stayed like that for some time, Riku behind the shack and peering out over the rooftop now and then, with DiZ sitting patiently on the ground behind him. Neither spoke for a long while, but finally Riku sighed softly.

"DiZ…there's something I wanna know."

"Yes?"

Riku frowned. "When we first met…you pretended to be Ansem, and you pushed me to use the darkness as a weapon. But…even before that, it was your voice, wasn't it? You were the one who called me out of the World of Darkness."

DiZ remained silent as Riku closed his eyes, remembering. He had been lost, drifting in the darkness. At first Mickey had been there, and they'd stood and fought the Heartless together, but it had not been long before the darkness had washed over Riku, sweeping away everything and leaving him in a strange state halfway between sleeping and waking. It had been…very much like this twilight that surrounded him now, the soft light that remained after the sun had set, slowly giving way to the darkness of night. Gradually awareness had returned, and with it had come the voice…

_"Sleep. Here, between light and dark."_

_"Between…what? The king! Where's the king?! Together we closed the door to darkness, and after that…grr, why can't I remember?"_

_"Your king is far away. Sleep, and leave the war with darkness in his hands. The thorny light of awakening will bring only anguish to one in your state. Turn from the light. Shut your eyes."_

_"You talk like I'm some kind of demon of the dark."_

Riku kept his eyes closed, letting the memory wash over him. "I…was filled with the darkness. And…I still am." He sighed. "But I chose to wake, and…you were right. The light of awakening did hurt. It still does." The soft light of the sunset, he knew, would not have been so gentle and pleasant if it hadn't been for his protective blindfold. Without it, the sun's dying light would have been unbearably bright. He took a deep breath. "I can still smell it in the air - taste it. The darkness is all around me. Will I…will I ever get rid of it, DiZ? Why did you want me to use it?"

DiZ shook his head. "I did not place the darkness around you, Riku. Darkness is never an easy thing to shake free of, and, for some, the apparent futility eventually leads them even deeper into the darkness. But you - you had managed to claw your way up through it, to a degree. You had exhausted your strength, and you floated in nothingness, halfway between the light and the dark. I could not take away the darkness - you are the only one who can do that, and it will be difficult. Yes, I could have left you there, to sleep forever. But would you have been happy with such an existence?"

Riku looked at the ground. "…No. I wouldn't have wanted that."

"Exactly. And so I woke you, and I gave you the means to travel back to your own world." DiZ smiled. "You may not have realized how close you were to my realm at the time. After all, I rule over that which lies between light and dark. You came to my attention quite easily."

"But…if I'm so vulnerable to the darkness, why push me to use it?"

"Simple. Either you master it, or it masters you. I did give you a choice. You chose to face it head on, rather than allow Naminé to lock your memories away along with the darkness."

"Yeah…Naminé." Riku sighed, shaking his head. "DiZ, who is she really? And why…why did the Organization keep her in that castle?" He muttered to himself. "I should have taken her with me when I left. I should have helped her."

"The journey you had to make would not have been easy on her, any more than it was for you, and she is still quite vulnerable." DiZ spoke in a slightly strained voice. "How many times I have wished I could help her…but I could not have prevented the Organization from coming after her, and I could not have shielded her against the harsh realities she had to face - not until the time was right."

Riku nodded reluctantly. "I guess I understand that. How did she get there, anyway? She always…seems so sad. She told me she was nothing, that she had no home, no past. In fact, I kinda got the impression she didn't feel as if she had a self, if you know what I mean. She never really thought of herself as whole person."

"Organization lies. She has spent so long under their sway, it is difficult for her to believe anything but the reality they gave to her."

Riku closed his eyes again, picturing that gentle face, smiling sadly. Somehow he forgot to press DiZ to answer his question, about who Naminé really was.

They sat in silence for a while longer, until DiZ gently touched Riku's shoulder. "Look, there."

Riku peered out over the roof of the shack, and sure enough, a black-coated figure was walking along the sand, away from the Secret Place. Riku squinted, looking more closely, and grinned. It was Saïx - meaning Demyx had been left behind. "So…now what, we wait for him to fall asleep?"

DiZ nodded. "I think it likely that he will, if we give it time. Let us wait another half hour, and then we will go have a look."

Riku settled into the shadows, schooling himself to patience. They spoke no more for a time, and he found himself deep in his own thoughts.

Eventually DiZ rose, and Riku followed. They made their way quietly down to the sand, dropping softly from the roof of the shack. DiZ wrapped both of them in a simple reflection spell, and they crept toward the Secret Place and the flickering firelight within.

Demyx was not yet asleep; they could hear soft chords as he idly plucked at his sitar. They stood in silence, however, watching and waiting, and Riku could just see his head begin to nod as his fingers slowed, then stilled. Exchanging a glance with DiZ, he nodded and began to move quietly into the cavern.

The Secret Place was just as Riku remembered - the soft moss, the sound of the waterfalls, and the old drawings made with soft kila rocks, scraping them so their lighter color rubbed off on the dark stone walls. Riku glanced at the familiar images, a slight smile tugging at his lips, but he stopped and frowned as he saw one of the oldest pictures. Sora and Kairi had drawn each other's portraits when they were still very small children. Now, however, the portraits had a new addition - each now reached out a hand, offering a simple star shape to the other. _Paopu fruits,_ Riku thought.

There was no time to ponder the drawings further. Kairi's grandmother sat against the wall, her wrists and ankles tied. The old woman appeared to have nodded off as well, but she came awake and looked around in confusion when Riku touched her softly on the shoulder.

"Shh," he whispered, as she tried to focus on the blur in the air before her. "We don't want to wake Demyx. Don't make a sound." He reached out with Soul Eater and gently cut the bonds on her wrists and ankles, then took her elbow and helped her to her feet.

The woman looked uncertain, but she followed as Riku led her out to the entrance of the cavern. "Who are you?" she whispered when they were safely out of earshot.

Riku hesitated. "I'm…a friend." His hood was up, his blindfold was tied tightly, and the reflection spell was still solidly in place, but he felt strangely uneasy. "We've both come to help."

"You're taking me out of here?"

DiZ shook his head, stepping close. He, too, was little more than a blur in the dim light. "No, madam. We cannot risk alerting your captors to our presence until we are prepared to help the other islanders."

She nodded solemnly. "Thank you. Do you have a plan?"

"No…we were hoping you might be able to help us with that."

Riku crouched down; he hadn't realized that he'd gotten so much taller than the short woman. "What is it they want from you? Why are they holding the islanders hostage? All we know is that they're looking for information about the Seekers of Wisdom. Is there anything else you can tell us?"

The woman looked back and forth at the two blurs, frowning thoughtfully - obviously trying to decide how much she could trust them with. Finally she gave them a strange smile. "They don't know it yet, but…I think what they really want to know about is Paosurala."

Riku blinked at the woman. "Uh…what's Paosurala?"

"The secrets of star magic - mostly lost in time, though there are still remnants here on these islands. Among other things, star magic was once used to affect the heart in different ways."

"That is certainly what they are after, then," said DiZ. "The Organization is made up of those whose hearts have been lost or destroyed. One of their primary goals is most assuredly to restore their hearts."

"Do you think it can be done?" asked Riku.

He asked the question of DiZ, but it was Kairi's grandmother who answered. "That's difficult to say, but it might be possible." She scowled. "Still…it's no excuse for what they've done. It does explain a bit, if they've lost their hearts. They have no feeling for what they're putting folks through."

"So…" Riku frowned thoughtfully. "Do you know the secrets of Paosurala?"

The old woman shook her head. "No…at least, not most of them. I can't use magic myself, you see, but I do know a few things." She smiled that secret smile again, unfolding her apron to produce a small, ripe paopu fruit.

Riku blinked at her in confusion. "A paopu?"

"Ah." She waggled a finger at him. "You think it's only a folk tale, a game for children and love-struck youngsters. The paopu was created by the Seekers of Wisdom who first settled Destiny Islands, however, and it uses some of the basic principles of star magic. I don't know much about it, myself, but I do know that if used right, the paopu can shield the heart."

"Wait…paopu really _can_ affect the heart? And people's destinies?"

The woman shrugged. "That I don't know, but it's possible it may hold a key to restoring hearts. If that's the case, though, then these Organization people shouldn't have it. They're ruthless enough as it is. I feel sorry for them if they've lost their hearts, but power like star magic, even in a form like the paopu, shouldn't be theirs."

"I agree," DiZ said smoothly. "In other circumstances, I would want to help them in their quest, but…from the very beginning, they have hurt others to get what they want. Our first priority is to prevent them from doing any more damage."

Riku turned to DiZ. "So…what's our plan, then?"

"Hmm." DiZ paused, thinking. "We cannot bargain easily…but we may be able to bluff."

"What - promise them the secrets of star magic long enough to set the islanders free?"

"Yes. This dear lady does not know the secrets, but if she could pretend she did…would you be willing, madam?"

She nodded. "Of course. So…I tell the rascals what they want to hear, and once they free the islanders, you'll…"

"We'll kick them off the island. You got it. DiZ, you think we can do that?"

"I believe so. We may be able to force them through a portal."

"But…what's to stop them from coming back?"

"We'll have to trust our luck…but I do not believe it will be a problem. They will believe the lady knows nothing of use, and they will move on to more productive sources of information."

Kairi's grandmother grinned, a twinkle in her eye. "Well…I wouldn't say I know absolutely nothing. Here." She pressed the paopu into Riku's hands. "Keep it. You may want to pick another before you leave. I don't know very much, but I can tell you that whatever secrets the paopu holds, it will respond to the use of five elements. One must be a manifestation of light, another a manifestation of darkness, but the other three can be any element. That's all I know, but you might be able to use it - maybe even to protect someone's heart. But be careful with it - it can be dangerous if misused, as with any power."

He stared at it, holding it carefully in his blurred and nearly-invisible gloved hand. "Does it…does it actually work? What they say about binding people's fates together?"

The woman laughed softly. "Enough schoolchildren have tried it to know better…but who knows? I think you might discover that it has many powers that will come to someone with a strong will and a faithful heart."

DiZ straightened. "We are grateful for all your assistance, madam. Now…" He sighed apologetically. "I'm afraid we must return you to your captors. Are they treating you well?"

"Oh, well enough - don't worry about me, sir." She smiled. "I understand. So…tomorrow, then?"

DiZ nodded, though she could not see it. "We will make our move tomorrow. Watch for us, but please do your best not to alert anyone to our presence before it is time."

"Of course."

"I'm afraid we must retie your bonds so they will not suspect. I won't be but a moment." DiZ went around to the seaside shack to gather some remnants of twine, which had been used to tie the woman's wrists and ankles before.

Despite the reflection spells, Kairi's grandmother turned and smiled at Riku. "Even though you can't free me right now…thank you, for everything you've done."

"Um…sure. It's no big deal," he muttered gruffly.

"Do…you know if Kairi is all right?" Worry touched her voice. Riku made no answer, stunned by her question, but she pressed on. "If you're from offworld, you must know where she went. She sent you to help us, didn't she?" She simply nodded at his silence. "I thought so. Please take care of her, will you, Riku?" She fumbled for his hand and grasped it, pressing it warmly before dropping it as DiZ returned.

DiZ quietly led her back into the cavern, where he gently tied her wrists and ankles once more. Riku stood in the entryway, watching. DiZ pushed past him to exit the cavern, but Riku continued to stare into the Secret Place. Despite the blindfold, the hood, and the reflection spell, his eyes met the old woman's, and she smiled.

Riku turned and strode quickly out of the Secret Place, catching up to DiZ.

Kairi's grandmother sighed heavily, shaking her head. Her eyes fell on the sleeping form of Demyx, his head resting against the stone wall of the cavern as he let out a soft snore. The snore stopped, and he opened one eye to look at his captive. A slight grin touched his face.

* * *

_Hopefully the next chapter will be up soon. More Riku goodness coming up!_


	30. The Battle for Destiny Islands

**_The Road to Dawn_**  
_By Ariana Aislinn_  
_Chapter 30: The Battle for Destiny Islands_

_Many thanks again to Megumi for beta-reading! And the battle begins... (grins) I hope everyone enjoys the fight scenes!_

_Standard disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts and its characters are the property of Square-Enix and Disney, not me._

* * *

As they walked back along the path to Riku's island, Riku slowed, frowning. DiZ stopped to see what was keeping him. The reflection spells had worn off only a moment ago, and Riku could now see the man's bandaged face clearly in the growing darkness. "DiZ…there's a problem with our plan."

"And that is…?"

"How can we really be sure the Organization will leave Gran alone once she's told them she knows nothing? Isn't that what she's been telling them so far? And if she _hasn't_ told them that, why would they believe her now? They're not going to leave that easily."

"Perhaps not," DiZ agreed. "Do you have a suggestion, then?"

"Well," Riku said slowly, "I know I said the islanders aren't much good at fighting, but…if they were prepared, it might work. We've got things that can be used as weapons - wooden poles and oars, fishing spears, even blitzballs. Any kind of projectile or blunt object might be effective if the Organization doesn't see it coming, right?"

"And what about the Nobodies?"

Soul Eater appeared in Riku's hand. "I'll have to take care of those. Still…if the Organization controls them, what if we knock them out or distract them? Wouldn't the Nobodies stop attacking?"

DiZ nodded. "They might."

Riku dismissed Soul Eater, bunching his right hand into a fist and smacking it into his palm as he paced forward thoughtfully. "If I can get to them, I might be able to rally the dueling club. I can get them some weapons and stash them in a safe place, for when we attack. So…what do you think?"

DiZ smiled slightly. "I think it would help a great deal. Very well - I will scout the beach on Palm Island, outside the marketplace. You should go seek out weapons for your friends. But Riku…"

Riku paused in mid-pace. "Yeah?"

"Be careful near the Nobodies. Before you go, I will show you how to use your powers of twilight to avoid detection. Watch carefully…"

Riku came and sat on the curved trunk of his favorite palm tree, watching as DiZ demonstrated basic twilight magic for him.

* * *

It was after midnight, and the moon was high in the sky, but Tidus couldn't sleep. He fumed irritably, staring out at the dim, gray line of the creatures that guarded the villagers. All around him, islanders lay on thin blankets, asleep on the sand. A few had tried to sneak away, but the silver creatures did not sleep, and they had quickly herded the prisoners back into place. They had learned early on that the creatures' talons were dangerous, and a few of the villagers nursed stinging wounds.

The leader of the creatures, the blond man with the smooth speech, was gone for the moment. Less than an hour ago, a second man with long, blue hair had come to speak to him, and they had both left the villagers unwatched. It was almost insulting, Tidus thought, how easily they dismissed them…although he did have to admit, the silver-gray creatures seemed to be all the guard they needed.

_"Psst!"_

A pebble hit Tidus in the back of the head, and he turned around, scowling at the prone figures of his friends. "All right, who did that?"

"It wasn't me," Selphie mumbled sleepily. "Go back to sleep."

Wakka muttered something about coconut pies and rolled over.

Tidus frowned, stepping over Rikku as he carefully headed over to the cliff face. He was still well within the circle of inhuman guards, but here, in the direction from which the pebble had come, he could see a dark shape huddled against the rock. It was strange, though - the figure's outline was fuzzy and indistinct. Peering closely, Tidus could eventually make out what looked like a coat and a hood - just like those of his captors. He stepped back, about to cry out an alarm, but a hand went over his mouth.

"Shh," whispered Paine in his ear. "You want to alert the guards?"

Tidus blinked, swallowing the shout he'd been about to release.

"I think he's on our side," Paine said, releasing Tidus. "He says he's got a plan."

Tidus frowned at the newcomer. "Who are you…?"

The figure in black shook its head. "No time. Go get the others from the dueling club - quietly."

Tidus continued to frown - there was something very funny going on here. The figure looked and sounded male, though it was difficult to tell much else from his low, rasping whisper. Still, he wasn't calling the guards, so what could it hurt to listen to him?

It was the work of a moment to quietly roust out the rest of his friends. Soon, Tidus stood before the figure again with the rest of the dueling club - Paine, Selphie, Rikku, Wakka, and even Yuna for good measure. "Okay, mystery man - you gonna tell us what this is about?"

The figure nodded. "You're all being held hostage, but we're going to attack at dawn - and you're going to help. I've stashed some makeshift weapons nearby. They aren't much, but you know how to use them, and the key thing is that your captors won't be expecting you to fight back."

"Right." Paine scowled, crossing her arms. "They think we're nothing."

The black-coated man shrugged. "Most of the islanders aren't anything to be afraid of in a fight - but you guys can handle it. Just attack with all you've got - yell, scream, beat them over the heads. Hurt them if you can, but mostly, just unnerve them, surprise them. We're hoping they'll leave if they meet with any real resistance." He gestured toward a stand of palm trees nearby. "At the center of those trees you'll find the weapon stash. You should probably look through them now, so you know what to grab when the time comes. You'll know when the time is - we'll surprise attack them not long after dawn."

The group of teens all nodded, and most of them went to rummage through the weapons. Selphie lingered, however, staring at the black-coated man before her. She frowned. "Well, it's awfully nice of you to help us, but…who are you, anyway?"

He shook his head. "Just a friend. I want to help, that's all. Why, you don't believe me?"

Selphie shrugged. "Well…you're dressed like _them,_ but you don't act like you mean us any harm. Still, there's something funny about you. It's something almost familiar."

"Well, I - " His words were cut off as Selphie suddenly reached out and grabbed his hood, pulling it back from his head. Silver hair spilled from it, and Riku swore under his breath. "Why does everyone keep _doing_ that?!" he sputtered, pulling the hood up again.

Selphie's breath caught. "Riku? Is that really you?" Her eyes went wide. "But then - where's Sora? And Kairi, what happened to Kairi? For that matter, where have _you_ been? We've been so - " Suddenly she stopped, peering more closely within Riku's hood. "You…you look so different, Riku. What's with the blindfold? And…"

Riku didn't answer, but she thought she could see a faint glint from his eyes, hidden though they were by cloth and shadow. Selphie sighed and stood up straight. "Okay, just…can't you tell me _anything?_ We've all been so worried…"

Riku stared at the ground. "I know, Selphie. I'm sorry - for everything."

"Sorry? For what?"

"Just…never mind. Look, I'd really appreciate it if you wouldn't tell anyone else about me, all right?" He sighed. "Kairi's fine. She's the one who sent me here, and I'm headed back to see her as soon as the islands are safe. Sora…I don't know where he is, but I think he's okay. I hope he is."

Selphie looked sad - almost as if she were pouting. "You're not staying?"

Riku shook his head. "I can't. Not until I'm done with…what I have to do. But will you try to take care of everyone for us? I promise we'll all come home when this is all over."

Selphie crossed her arms sulkily. "I can't say I understand what you're talking about, but…okay. If it's really that important to you, I won't breathe a word. Happy?"

Riku nodded, starting to get up. "Thanks, Selphie. And please - not even to my parents, okay?"

"What? But they need to know that you're okay, that you're alive!"

Riku hesitated, but then he sighed, straightening the rest of the way. "No. They'll find out when I come home. Look, Selphie, you just work with the others to plan the attack, okay? We'll be here in the morning to kick these guys off our islands. You're with me, right?"

Selphie grinned. "Of course. I'm gonna go referee over there - I think Wakka and Tidus are about to start fighting over a blitzball." She turned to gesture at the stand of palm trees, where the two boys were having a heated yet whispered argument.

"You do that. Be quiet - we can't let the Nobodies know that something's up."

"Okay. And, Riku - " Selphie turned around and stopped - he seemed to have vanished into thin air. She frowned, scanning the immediate area, but she saw nothing but the usual night shadows in the moonlight.

* * *

Luxord had returned a few hours before dawn, sitting against a palm tree and apparently dozing off with his head drooping to his chest. For a while DiZ and Riku were afraid that the islanders would act prematurely, but by the time the sun crested the eastern horizon, sending ripples of light across the sea, everything was still silent.

Not long after dawn, Luxord awoke, rising and stretching languidly. He surveyed the apparently still-sleeping prisoners with a smirk. The Nobodies had made no move during the night, and all seemed to be going well for the Organization.

Luxord strode off, returning a while later with a cracked coconut, scooping some of the meat out with a piece of hard shell. He munched casually while he watched the islanders. A few stirred, but none rose. Only a few minutes later, two more black-coated figures rounded the bend of the island, leading a plainly dressed, plump old woman before them.

Luxord, Saïx, and Demyx stood before their captive, a few yards away from the line of Nobodies that guarded the islanders. Some of them were starting to wake now, watching apprehensively. Saïx stepped forward and smiled enigmatically at Kairi's grandmother. "So, old woman," he said slowly, "you have had a couple of days to think about it. You now see the fruits of our labor before you. It would be a great shame if anything happened to these people - your neighbors, your friends. Don't you think you should do the right thing and cooperate with us? We ask very little - just a few answers."

Demyx nodded. "Right. Tell us what we need to know - about restoring hearts, about the Seekers' magic…and about the paopu." He grinned, pulling his sitar from over his shoulder and fingering a chord idly. His fingers plucked the strings, playing a minor scale that had an ominous tone to it.

Concealed behind a stand of palm trees, reflection spells surrounding him, Riku saw the old woman frown in his direction and then hurriedly look back at her captors. Something had gone wrong. How did Demyx know about the paopu? Riku cursed under his breath. He must have been awake…but how much had he overheard? If he didn't know about the attack, then they might still have a chance…

Kairi's grandmother hung her head. "The paopu used to have magic, but it's been lost," she said, sounding reluctant to speak. "No one knows how to use it anymore."

Luxord raised an eyebrow. "No one, woman? No one from these islands, perhaps. But you…?"

She hesitated. "Well, there _are_ the secrets of star magic…"

Saïx took a step forward. "The ancient power of the Seekers, the one that has been lost throughout the ages. Do you know of it, then?"

It was working, Riku realized, holding his breath. The three were absorbed in what Kairi's grandmother was telling them - possibly distracted enough that they could be caught by surprise. If Riku could take out the Nobodies fast enough, then DiZ could form the portals. It just might work, but he would have to move…_now._

Riku quickly made a sign with his blurred hand, and he caught a barely perceptible movement in response from DiZ. Taking a deep breath, he wrapped himself in twilight magic over the top of the reflection spell and darted forward, Soul Eater at the ready.

The first line of Nobodies was taken completely by surprise. Two strokes, and Riku had dispatched five of them. He took a few steps forward, whirling around to strike the next group of Dusks. A few more strokes, and suddenly they started to realize something was wrong. Nobodies turned and charged him, falling to his blade as they came near.

As soon as they saw him attack, a small group of teenagers rose from their blankets near a small stand of palm trees. Seconds later, they were running across the sand, darting between confused groups of Nobodies and dodging their awkward slashes. Wakka's blitzball hit Luxord hard in the arm, making him whirl around angrily. Tidus, carrying a makeshift wooden staff, managed to connect a hit on Saïx's shoulder, though it didn't seem to faze the man, who turned around slowly with one eyebrow raised. Selphie struck out at Demyx with a coiled fishing net, managing to entangle his sitar. "Hey!" the younger Nobody yelled, frantically grabbing for his instrument.

Meanwhile, Riku continued to battle wave after wave of Nobodies. A few beads of sweat formed on his forehead, but he found himself grinning. The bright early morning light made him squint despite his blindfold, but he realized his regular weapons training had paid off. He felt full of energy, with none of the fatigue he remembered from the early days of his recovery. He and Soul Eater moved almost as one, taking out several Nobodies with each swing.

Saïx produced a heavy, blunt sword out of nowhere, striking out to knock Tidus onto his back. The teen groaned, rolling in the sand to avoid a second swing. Paine dove in to strike at Saïx with her own wooden staff, catching him on the temple and dazing him slightly. From behind her, Yuna hurled a leather bag filled with pebbles, striking Demyx between the eyes. Rikku reached Demyx just in time for him to finish disentangling his sitar from the fishing net, and he danced backward awkwardly as she struck at him with a small kitchen knife. His fingers ran desperately down the sitar, the notes jangling in discord as he summoned a protective water spell around himself.

Riku finished off the last group of Dusks, following through on his final swing as they dissolved into nothingness before standing there, panting. He stared, wide-eyed, at Soul Eater. How had he managed to carve through so many Nobodies in so short a time?

There was no time to think about it now, however. The other villagers were starting to drag themselves out of their confusion, but help would not arrive in time for Tidus, Selphie, and the others. The three Organization members had been caught off-guard, but now they were angry, and the teens were beginning to fall back. Even Demyx grinned widely, his fingers dancing on the strings of his sitar as water flashed all around him, knocking Rikku to her knees, coughing and sputtering.

Riku darted forward, Soul Eater striking out toward the nearest of the three in black. Luxord was ready for him, though, and Riku found himself moving slowly, as if he were pushing against a strong wind. Luxord darted toward him with frightening, unnatural speed, tossing cards as he approached. Riku winced, feeling a card slice his cheek as it whipped past. Gritting his teeth, he gathered the powers of twilight around himself, then pushed against the spell that had caused his movements to slow. It shattered, and Riku burst forward with sudden speed, meeting Luxord and catching him with a well-aimed slice to his throwing arm. Luxord drew back, grabbing his forearm and hissing as he sucked in a breath.

"Riku, now!" DiZ was on his right, and Riku whirled to look - he'd created a portal, right behind the three. It flickered with twilight power; although it would not have the same effect as attempting to cross into the twilight realm, it might at least partially incapacitate the Organization Nobodies. Now all Riku had to do was maneuver them toward the portal before they figured out what was happening, and then they would be transported directly to Castle Oblivion. With luck, they would give up on returning, at least for now.

Soul Eater was a blur as Riku forced Luxord backward, away from Tidus' prone form. The teens who were still standing continued their assault, joining Riku in his push toward the portal.

Saïx turned to look behind him momentarily, and when he looked back, his eyes were narrowed. He sidestepped to avoid Wakka's blitzball, turning and shoving him into the sand, then striking him a rough blow to the head with the flat of his broadsword. He lay still on the ground, momentarily stunned. Not far off, Tidus shook his head and got to his hands and knees, but he wobbled unsteadily. Rikku was doubled over, completely drenched in water and coughing heavily. Yuna had run out of projectiles to throw at their enemies, so it was just Paine and Selphie now, helping Riku to push back the three men. He wondered how long they could last.

There - Luxord had tried to sidestep, but Paine had forced him back in front of the portal. Gathering his strength, Riku charged forward and rammed the man, knocking him backward as hard as he could. It worked, and the man stumbled, falling through the portal and vanishing.

Saïx's golden eyes flashed. "Amusing, boy…and utterly worthless." He glanced at Demyx, his expression unreadable…and then he shrugged, a small smile playing on his lips. "Very well, then." Saïx stepped through the portal of his own accord, leaving the three remaining attackers in total confusion.

"What…?" began Selphie, before Demyx interrupted, laughing.

"Ha! You thought it was that easy, huh?" He grinned, rummaging in his coat and producing a paopu fruit. "From the moment we got here, I could feel the magic in this thing. It'll reveal its secrets to me pretty easily; I could already feel it responding to the music." He grinned and saluted with the hand that held the fruit. "Thanks, though - I never would have realized its significance if you hadn't had that little chat about it last night! Shouldn't be too hard to figure out what will trigger it. So, I'm off…but as a farewell present…" Demyx ran the fingers of his free hand down the sitar, then plucked a complex chord that made Riku's hair stand on end.

Water exploded out of the sand, knocking Riku to the ground. His blindfold came off in the jet of water, and he cried out in the full sunlight of early morning, his arms going up to shield his face. He could hear Selphie and Paine yelling angrily, and Kairi's grandmother called something he could not hear from several yards away, where they had left her once the fight began.

_"Thundaga!"_ shouted DiZ, his voice deep and angry. Riku heard Demyx wail in pain, the sitar screeching in an agony of mangled chords. The musician's voice cut off suddenly; it sounded as if he had fallen through the portal.

The battle was over, and Riku could hear footsteps running across the sand as the villagers approached. Shading his eyes with his forearm, he got awkwardly to his feet, running toward the portal. It winked out as he approached, but DiZ flickered into view. His blurred form was indistinct, but the reflection spell was obviously wearing off.

Looking down, Riku could see that his own spell had worn off at some point during the battle. He turned to DiZ, panicked. "DiZ, we have to go now. _Please._ Quick, before someone sees me!"

DiZ eyed Riku carefully for a moment, then nodded. "Very well." He held out a hand, and a new portal appeared. Riku lowered his arm slightly, squinting in the bright light. He thought he could see Selphie a little ways off, looking at him worriedly. He shook his head, then turned and ran through the portal, his heart pounding.

There were tears in Riku's eyes as he fled from his home, and from the old friends he could not bear to face.

* * *

_And you're in luck - Megumi sent me **two** beta-read chapters, so chapter 31 will be up very very soon as well!_


	31. A Restless Vigil

**_The Road to Dawn_**  
_By Ariana Aislinn_  
_Chapter 31: A Restless Vigil_

_Thank you to my tireless beta-reader, Megumi! This chapter was a little tricky at first, but it really came through. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!_

_Standard disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts and its characters are the property of Square-Enix and Disney, not me._

* * *

Riku stumbled through the portal into blessed coolness. There was solid stone under his feet, and everything was wonderfully dark. He staggered to a stop, straightening and taking a deep breath. He was still drenched from Demyx's water spell, but at least he could see once more without wincing in pain.

The portal rippled, and DiZ walked through, gesturing quickly to dispel the portal. He looked around in the darkness, sighing. "Well," he said slowly, "it seems we have succeeded - to a degree."

"Yeah," Riku muttered. "The islands are safe…but Demyx knows something."

"Perhaps, yes," said DiZ, "but with luck he will be unable to use it. We cannot be sure how much he overheard, and even what little we know is not enough to cause damage on its own. Be grateful for small blessings, Riku. Your friends and family are safe now, too, and that is no small blessing at all."

Riku just nodded, squeezing his eyes tightly shut. "…Yeah. They're safe. That's all that matters…for now."

DiZ was, thankfully, silent for a moment, walking past Riku and up some nearby steps.

"Hey, where are we?" Riku asked as soon as he had gotten control over his voice.

"We should be in the wine cellar at Disney Castle," DiZ told him. Riku could hear the slight smile in his voice. "I thought it might be best, since you had lost your blindfold."

"Yeah, thanks," Riku said wryly. He rummaged in the pocket of his coat, pulling out a spare blindfold. It was somewhat damp, but it would do. He tied it tightly around his temples. "Well, let's go report in."

"Yes." DiZ nodded. "King Mickey will want to know if we were successful. I would also like to consult with him; it concerns me that Darkside did not appear to be on the islands."

"Darkside?"

"Yes, the leader of Organization Thirteen. He was there when I investigated the other night, but he was not one of the three men we saw. Perhaps Mickey will have some insight. Then, after we speak with the king, I shall return to Twilight Town to see to the others. I must know if the memory restoration succeeded as planned."

Riku frowned. DiZ had explained about the girls' memories - in a way. All Riku really understood was that Naminé and Kairi had both lost their memories when they were very small, and Roxas was somehow the key to restoring them. DiZ sounded very casual about it all, but Riku couldn't help but feel uneasy about the whole idea. Even if it worked exactly as planned, it would change a great deal for both of them. He knew he wouldn't want to be in their positions.

The wine cellar opened into the kitchens, which were alive with the morning's activity. A flour-covered cook, after recovering from her initial shock, directed the two of them up the stairs and down the appropriate hallway to find the wing where the guest rooms were located.

"I shall report to King Mickey," DiZ told Riku. "You should go and change clothes; I'm sure he will not mind waiting. We will see you when you are refreshed."

"Okay." Riku nodded gratefully; he needed a few moments to himself anyway, and he had to admit that sopping wet leather was not a pleasant thing to be wearing. "I'll see you in a little bit, then." The two went their separate ways, and Riku headed off down the hallway to his own room. Closing the door and locking it behind him, he flung his wet things in a corner and rummaged through the closet for something clean and dry.

Riku had barely had time to pull on a fresh, sleeveless black shirt and dusky blue pants when there was a knock at the door. "Who is it?" he called, trying to hide his exasperation.

"It's DiZ," came the reply, and Riku froze. It was very unlike DiZ to sound so…unsettled. He hurriedly crossed the room and unlocked the door, opening it to look up at the man's bandaged face. DiZ dropped his eyes to the floor - that was especially strange. He seldom had difficulty meeting another person's gaze.

"What's the matter?" Riku asked, worry rising within him. "What happened?"

"Kairi and Naminé have returned already," he said. "Roxas…is not with them. No one is entirely sure what happened, but they were found sprawled in the middle of the hallway last night. They have not woken since."

Riku stiffened, a pit opening up in his stomach. "Where are they?" he demanded, but DiZ was already leading the way. Riku followed, not even bothering to close his door behind him.

A room had not yet been prepared for Kairi, so the castle servants had made up a cot for her in Naminé's room. His heart pounding, Riku pushed open the door. Naminé lay in her bed, the covers drawn up tightly around her, but Kairi was sprawled on the cot and tangled in her blankets, shivering in her sleep. Riku sank to his knees on the floor between the two of them, reaching out a hand on either side to feel their foreheads. There seemed to be no fever, but something was definitely wrong. "What's happened to them?" he demanded, almost frantically.

DiZ moved into the room, closing the door behind him. Leaning down, he touched a hand to Kairi's cheek. "Hmm," he mused, his voice unreadable. "It seems that they were in a hurry when they returned here. Roxas must have made a portal for them - I did not realize he knew how to do so on his own yet. It takes a great deal of practice and study. Still, he would have known better than to send them without a duskcloak. Naminé is somewhat less susceptible to the ill effects of passing through twilight, as she is from the Twilight World, but Kairi…" DiZ shook his head.

Riku rounded on him, his voice seething. "How can you stand there and be so calm about this? What's going to happen to them? Come on, _tell_ me!"

DiZ held up a hand, his brow furrowing beneath the bandages. "Relax, my friend. They are in no serious danger. It may take some time for them to recover, but I have some knowledge that can help them heal faster. The powers of twilight are not to be taken lightly, and they must have been in a great hurry indeed to take such a risk - or for Roxas to allow them to take it." He frowned deeply. "I am more worried about Roxas and his whereabouts, I must admit."

Riku scowled. Truth be told, he couldn't care less about Roxas. As far as he was concerned, it was that kid's fault that this had happened to the girls, whatever it was. Riku sighed heavily, sinking back to his knees, his head hanging. "So…there's no way to know what happened to them?"

DiZ shook his head. "Not until they awake, no." He stopped, watching Riku for a moment. "I have not yet made my report to King Mickey; I was intercepted by a guard before I could reach the library. There is no need for you to go, however. I shall send someone with food and blankets, if you would like to stay here."

Riku looked up at the man and nodded, forgiving much in that instant. They exchanged a glance, and understanding passed between them. DiZ knew that Riku could not leave this room until he was sure that both Kairi and Naminé would be all right.

The other man left, closing the door firmly behind him, and Riku allowed his head to drop. Tears stung his eyes, and, uncharacteristically, he allowed them to fall. "All my fault," he muttered. "If I'd just gone with them…or convinced them not to go at all…" He punched the carpet with his fist. "_Damn!_ I _knew_ it was a mistake!"

It was not long before a servant brought the blankets. A humanoid feline, she seemed about to ask if Riku needed anything else, but the look on his face must have been fierce, for she practically fled from the room. Heaving a sigh, Riku made up a pallet for himself on the floor between the two girls, then leaned over to check on each of them in turn. Naminé seemed to be sleeping peacefully, but Kairi whimpered softly. Riku gently disentangled her limbs from the blankets, tucking the covers carefully around her, but she soon shook them off again, thrashing in her sleep. Riku sighed, sinking down to sit on his pallet with his back against Naminé's bed, his knees drawn up to his chest.

Riku had been pleasantly surprised at his ability to take on so many Nobodies at once, but the fact of the matter was that he was still recovering, and he had stayed up all night preparing for the attack. He dozed off in a fitful rest, plagued by unsettling dreams that dragged him back from slumber, then vanished in an instant when he came awake for a moment, unable to remember what had made him so uneasy. The cycle of dreaming and waking halfway continued for some time.

Though none of it could truly be called restful, Riku must have slept for a long time. It had been midmorning when he and DiZ had returned from Destiny Islands, but when Riku finally awoke completely, it was full night. The lamp on the desk was lit, casting its soft, golden glow over the room. By the door sat a plate with a sandwich on it; there was also an apple and a pitcher of water.

Riku ignored the food for the moment, going to check on the girls. Both were still, though Kairi moaned softly when he touched her forehead. He stood back, staring helplessly, wishing he knew what else to do.

Suddenly Naminé cried out softly in her sleep, throwing back the covers. "No," she murmured, her voice almost childlike in its fear, "I won't! I won't take her memory!"

Riku touched her hand, and Naminé grasped his tightly in return. He winced slightly as her nails dug into his skin. "What made you do it, Naminé? Why would you use your powers like that?" His expression softened. "Who would make you do it?"

He knew who, though. It was the Organization - those damned manipulators who had put him through so much during his visit to Castle Oblivion. Granted, a good deal of that had been DiZ, but it wasn't what had happened to Riku that bothered him so much as what the Organization had done to Naminé, and to Sora, for that matter. No matter which way he turned, he could see Organization Thirteen's hand in everything. What were they really after…and was there a way to stop them?

Naminé's painful grip on his hand slackened, and her breathing steadied. Riku carefully extricated his hand from her grasp and settled back with a sigh. What was going on, anyway? It upset him to see his two friends in this state, and although DiZ seemed sure they'd be all right, that wasn't enough for Riku.

He half-heartedly ate part of the sandwich and a few bites of apple before dozing off again, but he couldn't really say that he slept. It seemed that every flicker of the lamp brought him awake again, and he found himself mostly drowsing, listening to the sound of the two girls breathing softly.

After a while, Kairi let out a moan and curled in on herself, huddling in a shivering ball on the cot and whimpering softly. Immediately roused from what little sleep he'd managed to get, Riku shook himself awake and knelt next to the cot, leaning over his friend.

Kairi was shaking rather violently now, which worried Riku. Should he fetch DiZ? He grasped Kairi's shoulder, shaking her gently. He jerked back, however, when her eyes flew open, and she lifted her head to look wildly around the room.

"Kairi? Kairi, calm down, it's okay! You're safe. Just relax, all right?"

She propped herself up awkwardly on one elbow, her teeth chattering and her eyes wide. "Where…where am I?" she gasped. She stared at Riku, but she didn't really seem to see him. He wondered just how awake she really was.

"You're back at the castle. You're sick, kind of, so just take it easy, okay?"

"Castle…?" Kairi squeezed her eyes shut, shivering. "It's…buzzing. In my head…won't stop."

"DiZ said it was the twilight. You went through a portal unprotected."

Scrambling to his feet, Riku grabbed the pitcher of water and poured a glass for Kairi, holding it to her lips. She drank unsteadily, coughing a bit before collapsing back onto the cot. "…Hurts," she murmured softly. "Won't stop humming. Is this…what Sora felt?"

Riku frowned. "Sora? What do you mean?"

"Went through twilight…no cloak. He…had to fight that way, and…" She whimpered again, squeezing her eyes tightly shut so that tears trickled from them.

"Wait - you _saw_ Sora?" Riku's eyes widened. "What happened? Where is he now?"

Whatever hold Kairi had on consciousness seemed to be drifting away. Her eyes remained closed as she spoke. "Gone," she said, her voice shaking. "Here." She pressed a hand to her chest, shuddering. Her breath caught, then steadied. As Riku watched, the tension in her body seemed to lessen, and her breathing slowed. Sleep seemed to have claimed her once more - and for the moment, at least, it appeared to be restful.

Sighing in worry and frustration, Riku set the half-empty glass back on the table. Returning to his seated position on his pallet, he watched Kairi carefully. Minutes passed, and there was no sound or movement aside from her steady breathing. After a while, Riku found his own breath slowing to match, and before long he'd drifted off as well.

* * *

_There you go! Hope you enjoyed it! More coming up soon...just as soon as I can get chapter 32 beta read. Can't say how long that will be, but please be patient! It'll be worth it!_


	32. The Strength of Friendship

_**The Road to Dawn**_  
_By Ariana Aislinn_  
_Chapter 32: The Strength of Friendship_

_Thank you again to both Megumi and Perhelediel, my wonderful beta readers!_

_Standard disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts and its characters are the property of Square-Enix and Disney, not me._

* * *

The morning sun filtering in through the window woke Riku. He discovered that he'd somehow managed to lie down on his pallet and wrap himself in the blankets without remembering it. He still wore his blindfold, but as usual, it helped him to see quite well in the early morning light. The lamp had gone out at some point during the night, and someone must have been in the room, because the half-eaten sandwich and apple had been removed.

Riku's stomach growled, reminding him how little he had eaten in the past twenty-four hours. He sat up, straightening his rumpled clothes as best he could, and checked on Kairi and Naminé – both were sleeping peacefully.

There was a knock at the door, and Riku cleared his throat. "Uh…come in," he called softly, so as not to wake the girls.

The door creaked open to admit a small, mousy form. Riku got to his feet, sighing in relief. "Mickey! Am I glad to see you."

The king grinned, setting a tray of steaming, covered plates down on the table. "Heya, pal. Sorry I didn't come by last night, but we thought we should leave you alone for a while. How are they doing?"

Riku shrugged, turning to look at his charges. "Not much better…but at least Kairi finally started sleeping quietly. She tossed and turned half the night." He met Mickey's eyes and shook his head helplessly. "I wish I knew exactly what was wrong, and what to do about it."

"I talked with DiZ last night, and he said it was because they went through the twilight unprotected. Looks like there isn't much we _can_ do, except wait. He did give me a bottle of some kind of medicine for them, though – it's supposed to help a little."

"Good, thank you." Riku nodded. "How much do I give them? Should we try to wake them up so they can take it now?"

Mickey shook his head. "Nah, let them keep sleepin' a bit longer! DiZ says that's really what they need most. Just a spoonful apiece should do it…the bottle is right there on the breakfast tray."

Riku sniffed, his stomach growling. "Breakfast? What is it?"

Mickey grinned. "For the girls – oatmeal. For you, though, there's also some bacon and eggs if you want it."

Riku uncovered a plate and discovered the promised food, sniffing appreciatively. "Mind if I dig in?"

"Go right ahead!" Mickey chuckled. "Actually, unless you need me for anything, I was going to head back to the library. That book you showed me has some pretty fascinating stuff, and once Kairi and Naminé are feeling better, I'd like to show you some passages."

Riku nodded, swallowing a bit of breakfast before he spoke. "Of course. Look, thanks for understanding, about the girls. I just wish I felt like I was doing some good, you know?"

Mickey smiled. "Of course you are, pal. It always does someone good to have a friend standing by them." He headed for the door with a wave of his hand. "Just call if you need anything else, okay?"

"Thanks, Mickey." Riku smiled back as his friend left the room, closing the door behind him. As soon as the mouse was gone, however, he turned back to look at the two sleeping forms before him, sighing a little as he did so.

His sigh was answered by a soft murmur from the bed. Naminé stirred, blinking her eyes slowly and squinting in the morning light. "…Mmm?" She blinked, her brilliant blue eyes casting about the room as she struggled to sit up. Recognition dawned as she realized where she was, and her gaze fell on Riku. She smiled weakly as Riku came over to hand her a glass of water. "Hi. I…suppose we made it back safely, didn't we?"

"Well, it depends on what you mean by safely." Riku shrugged, managing a bit of a smile in response. "How do you feel?"

Naminé took a sip of water, wincing slightly. "My head aches, and I feel tired and sore all over. But aside from that…not too bad. How's Kairi?"

Riku frowned, glancing at the other girl, who was still deeply asleep. "…Better, I think, but she's not doing too well. I guess the trip through twilight affected her more than you."

"So _that's_ what happened. I didn't have time to wonder much about it, but I knew something was wrong when we went through the portal." She frowned worriedly. "Will she be all right?"

Riku shrugged helplessly. "DiZ says she will. I hope he's right." He took the empty glass Naminé handed back to him and set it on the table, then sat down on the edge of the bed. "Naminé," he said earnestly, "can you tell me what happened? DiZ said that you went to this place called Twilight Town, I think, to get your memories back. I need to know what happened to you there. Did…did it work?"

Naminé looked away, staring out the window at the orchards for a few moments before she answered. She clasped her hands together, twisting them nervously. "It…mostly did. Some of it is still missing, but I think bits and pieces started to come back while I slept. But – " Tears welled up in her eyes and spilled down her face.

"Whoa!" Riku reached out to pat her awkwardly on the shoulder. "Hey, I don't know what happened, Naminé, but you can tell me. What was it? Did someone hurt you? What happened to Roxas? Why didn't he come back with you?"

Naminé sniffled, trying to wipe her eyes, but the tears continued to come. "I'm not hurt, I just – it was so much all at once, and then Roxas – " She let out a choking sob, then coughed, trying to steady herself. The tears continued to run down her cheeks. "Darkside attacked us, and Roxas stayed to buy us time. Darkside, he – he took him."

Riku frowned. "Wait, Darkside? Isn't he the leader of the Organization?"

"Y-yes, he is." She shivered.

"So that's why he wasn't at the islands!" Riku swore under his breath. "We just missed him, and while we were busy trying to save the islanders, he was – gah, how could we have been so _stupid?_ I should _never_ have let you two go off with only Roxas for protection!"

Naminé shook her head. "Roxas did everything he could to save us! We wouldn't have gotten out at all if it weren't for him, him and – " She swallowed suddenly.

Riku eyed her sharply, but she wouldn't meet his gaze. Finally he finished her sentence for her. "Sora, right? Roxas and Sora saved you two."

She turned to look at him, her eyes wide with surprise. Her tears had momentarily stopped, leaving dry, salty tracks on her cheeks. "Sora? But how did you–"

"Kairi woke in the night. She wasn't really awake – just babbling, mostly, but she mentioned Sora. He was there in Twilight Town, wasn't he?" Naminé merely nodded, and he continued. "How did he get there? You told me he'd awoken in Castle Oblivion and gone off to find transportation in Gateway, but after that…?"

"Well…DiZ told me he'd sent some friends to find Sora. I wasn't really sure who, but DiZ said something about Hollow Bastion. I think that's where Sora's been, at least recently. But somehow he figured out how to make a portal to Twilight Town, and he was looking for something there. He had no idea the three of us were there, too. Unfortunately, he didn't know about the dangers of traveling through twilight, either, so he'd come through the portal without any protection. When Darkside showed up, he wasn't able to fight very well, and he was vulnerable to attack…" Naminé's voice trailed off.

"So he and Roxas fought Darkside?" Riku pressed.

"Not directly, no. I think…Darkside was just toying with us. He distracted them with Heartless and Nobodies, and then…well, he said he needed the Keyblade master to reopen the Door to Darkness, but his – his heart didn't have to be whole." Naminé swallowed hard.

Riku's blood ran cold, and he grasped the girl's shoulders. "Naminé, what happened? _Is Sora all right?_"

She shook her head, the tears beginning anew. "I'm so sorry, Riku! I didn't really know _what_ was happening, it was all so fast! One moment he was fighting next to Kairi, and then…he was lying on the ground, and he went still, and…" She choked back a sob.

Riku was silent for a moment, letting his hands drop from Naminé's shoulders as he just stared at her, thinking. Something wasn't right here. If what she'd said was true, then Darkside hadn't wanted to kill Sora – but he couldn't have taken his heart, either. If he had, Sora would have become a Heartless, or Darkside might have tried to possess his body, as Ansem had once done with Riku. Once Riku would have cringed at that memory, but now his thoughts were focused only on figuring out what had happened to his best friend. "Naminé, what _exactly_ happened to him?"

"I don't know!" she wailed softly. "It happened so fast, and then suddenly Kairi grabbed my hand, and we ran through the portal!"

"But…Kairi would never have left him, not unless – " Riku's heart skipped a beat, but he took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, telling himself not to jump to conclusions. He glanced over at Kairi's sleeping form. Did he dare wake her? She was resting so peacefully now, and he knew she needed it – but he had to know what had happened to Sora.

Naminé's sobs distracted him, and with a heavy sigh, Riku put his arms around her and pulled her to his chest. "I'm sorry, Naminé. I know this is hard on you, too. I just…I need to know what happened to my best friend."

Naminé clung to his shirt, burying her face in his shoulder as she tried to stifle her sobs. "I should have done more. If I had just – "

"Hey, what could you have done? You and Kairi were defenseless back there – it's a miracle you got out safely. Look, don't beat yourself up over this, all right? It's not like you can use your memory powers in a battle."

"But I…I could." She sniffled, trying to stop the tears. "I can use them to – to shatter hearts." Riku could feel her stiffen in his arms. "Marluxia tried to make me do that to Sora, back in Castle Oblivion. I…I did it to you. I mean, to the fake Vexen made." She straightened, trying to push Riku away.

Riku let her go, but he kept his hands on her shoulders. "Hey," he said, trying to get her to look at him. "If you…really did that…you know it wasn't me. That fake hated everyone and everything. He tried to kill me, and I bet he tried to kill Sora too, didn't he?"

Naminé nodded, sniffing as she wiped away tears.

"You did what you had to do. Look, everything that happened at Castle Oblivion is over and done with. There's no point in looking back. And if you'd tried to use that power against Darkside – even if you had wanted to – I bet you couldn't, could you?"

The girl shook her head. "No. He…he has no real heart to shatter. At least – not a heart as we know it. I can't get at his memories, either; he's too strong."

"Right, so you couldn't have done anything. That means you aren't allowed to be angry at yourself for being unable to fight. What's the point in holding yourself responsible for things you can't control?"

Naminé nodded. "I…suppose you're right."

Riku grinned. "Of course I am. Now, here's what we're going to do. First, you're going to go clean yourself up. You're a mess." He laughed lightly. He managed to keep it from sounding forced, although inside he was still wracked with intense worry. He'd been so concerned about Kairi and Naminé, but now his fear for Sora made it difficult for him to think about anything else. He pushed that aside for the moment, however. _Naminé is upset enough as it is. I can't worry her further._

Naminé managed a weak smile. "I suppose I do look a little the worse for wear…"

"Yeah…but you'll also feel a lot better once you freshen up. How are you feeling? Can you get out of bed?"

She nodded. "I think I'd better. I can get to the bathroom, anyway."

"Okay…so how about this? You can go wash your face, maybe change into some fresh clothes, and when you come back you can have some of this _wonderful_ oatmeal Mickey brought for you. If you can get that down okay, maybe we can get you something else to go with it. Meanwhile, I'll see if I can wake Kairi and get some answers." Riku sighed. "I hate to do it, but I've got to know what happened."

"Yes." Naminé nodded, a little grimly. "I'm sorry I don't remember more."

Riku shrugged. "Hey, I understand. I've been in plenty of battles too, you know? Everything just blurs together. Now, do you feel any better? Think you're ready to get up?"

"I…think so." Naminé managed another smile.

"Good." Riku hugged her around the shoulders and stood. "Up you get, then. I'll see if I can get someone to deliver some hot cocoa, how's that?"

This time Naminé grinned, pushing back the covers and swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. "That sounds wonderful."

Once Naminé had left the room, Riku turned his attention to Kairi. For a moment his gaze rested on his now-cooling bacon and eggs, but by now his appetite was mostly gone, and he could wait no longer to find out about Sora. He sighed heavily and looked at Kairi, folding his arms across his chest and shaking his head. After a moment, he went to the cot and dropped to his knees beside it, grasping Kairi's shoulder and shaking her gently.

Kairi was not easy to wake. She was sleeping so deeply that Riku had to shake her several times. He nearly began to panic, but then she stirred, rousing slightly.

"Kairi, come on, wake up. I need to talk to you."

"Mmm…" Kairi shifted on the cot, her eyes opening slightly. Slowly she lifted her right hand, which had been resting on her chest, and moved it to her pocket, feeling for something. When she found it, she let out a long, shuddering breath. "Gone…" she whispered.

"What's gone, Kairi?" Riku tried to make his voice calm and reassuring, but impatience kept creeping into his words.

"I…" She blinked, opening her eyes all the way and turning to look at Riku. It took a moment for her to focus, but this time she really did seem to be awake enough to register his presence. "Riku!" Kairi struggled to sit up.

"Whoa, hey." Riku put his hand on her shoulder. "Take it easy, okay? You're still sick. How do you feel?"

Kairi groaned softly. "Everything's buzzing. I feel so…so weak."

"Well, you seem better than you did last night, anyway. Don't worry, DiZ said you'd be all right."

"Feels like…my teeth won't stop chattering."

Riku frowned. "Are you cold? I can get you an extra blanket."

Kairi shook her head. "No. It's just…" She reached out and clasped Riku's hand, taking a deep breath. "Something…happened. We should never have gone." Tears welled up in her eyes. "Getting my memory back isn't worth it."

He didn't want to, but he had to ask. "Kairi…I need you to tell me what happened." Riku's voice was soft but serious. "Do you remember? Naminé wasn't sure what was going on in the heat of the battle, but she told me some."

Kairi just nodded, seeming unable to speak.

"She said…you saw Sora in Twilight Town."

Despite Riku's admonition to take it easy, Kairi sat up and threw her arms around him, sobbing. She shuddered, either with emotion or pain, or possibly both. Taken aback, Riku just sat there for a moment, then slowly brought his own arms up around her. "You did, didn't you?"

Kairi nodded, tears dripping onto Riku's shoulder. He was dimly aware that his sleeve was still wet with Naminé's tears. _Whatever happened, it's sure turned the girls into emotional wrecks._ Despite the cynical thought, Riku's heart wrenched to see them both in such pain. It seemed odd, actually – he felt strangely uncomfortable, sitting there and hugging Kairi. She'd been one of his best friends for so long, and for a long time there'd been another facet to their friendship – something he'd never mentioned, but it had put a new edge on his good-natured rivalry with Sora. It was what had led him to seek out Kairi alone after Destiny Islands' destruction, using the powers of darkness and anything else that came his way to try to help her regain herself. His feelings for Kairi had become nearly an obsession, and that obsession had transformed itself into an obsession with darkness, in turn.

Something had changed, however. Riku cared as much for Kairi as ever, but it was different now. He felt protective of her, but it was almost as if…as if he weren't watching over Kairi for his own sake, but for Sora's. Sora couldn't be here now to take care of her, so Riku would do it in his place.

"He'd come to Twilight Town looking for something," Kairi eventually choked out. "Another Keyblade, I think. I'm not sure. It's…kind of a blur now."

Riku was silent, forcing down his impatience for answers and letting her speak at her own pace. Kairi sat back, and Riku let his arms drop. She clasped his hand in hers, though, and he could feel her shaking as she tried to wipe her tears with her other hand.

"The four of us talked. It…took us a while to figure out something was wrong. He was weak from the twilight. I guess…now I know what he was feeling." She shook her head as if in denial. "Why didn't we see sooner? If we'd just gotten him out of there…"

"Naminé said that Darkside attacked."

Kairi nodded. "He said he needed to get inside the mansion – something about reopening the Door to Darkness. He also needed Sora and me to do it. Sora and Roxas fought the Heartless and the silver things, and Naminé and I did our best to help…but there was no way we could last long against Darkside. Roxas was able to make a portal, but before we could get to it…" Kairi sniffed, fresh tears rolling down her face. She had managed to quell her sobs, but it took her a few moments before she could speak again. "Darkside, he – he attacked Sora with something made from darkness. He said something about the black keyblade, the one that unlocks hearts. I guess it was…doing something to Sora's heart, and Sora didn't think he could last long." Her voice shook, but she forced herself to continue. "We couldn't get him to the portal in time, and if he stayed there – in the twilight world, Roxas said that if darkness takes you, you don't lose your heart. Your heart's destroyed, but it stays inside you, and you become a Nobody. That's what the members of the Organization are, and the silver things too, I guess. If…if it had happened to Sora, then Darkside still could have used him to reopen the door, but Sora would have…" She stopped, her voice catching.

Riku shook his head. "That didn't happen though, right? You said _if_ it had happened. So…Sora is…"

Kairi blinked sadly at Riku's expression. He knew he sounded hopeful, but he also knew he didn't believe it himself. Sora wasn't safe. If he were, Kairi wouldn't be on the verge of falling apart like this.

"He asked me to keep his heart safe," Kairi choked out. "Just like he did with mine."

Riku stared at her. "But…but _how?_"

"I don't know! I don't know how I did it, it just…happened!"

"Wait…you _did_ it?" Riku's eyes grew wide. "Then that means…"

Kairi nodded, pressing her free hand to her chest. "Sora's…heart is inside me."

Riku opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

"I…I think he helped me fight off the twilight last night. I remember the buzzing and the pain being so much worse, but then I fell asleep thinking about him. It's…much better now. Still there, but…" She trailed off, and they sat in silence for a few moments. After a while, Kairi spoke again. "I had to leave him, Riku." Her eyes glistened as more tears spilled out. "We couldn't bring his…his body with us. Darkside must have him." Her grip on Riku's hand tightened. "I _left_ him, Riku! I left him!"

"No," Riku said slowly, "you didn't leave him." He looked into Kairi's anguished eyes and managed a smile. "You brought him with you. You're keeping his heart safe, like he asked, and we're going to get him back."

"But…" Kairi's voice wavered.

"He's right." They both looked up as Naminé entered the room. Neither had heard her quietly open the door. She walked a little shakily, but she looked much better; she'd changed into a clean dress and had washed up a bit and brushed her hair. She went to sit in the chair by her drawing table, her hands clasped in her lap. "As long as you have his heart with you, we can bring him back. All we have to do is get his body back."

"But…" Kairi took a deep breath, releasing Riku's hand and sitting up straight. "How do we do it?"

"I don't know." Naminé shrugged, smiling slightly. "But I know that we can, especially if we work together. We all care about Sora, after all. You're the one he entrusted with his heart, Kairi, but we're all his friends – and it's going to take all of us to help him." She saw the looks on their faces and shook her head. "A few minutes ago, I half believed Sora was dead. I didn't know what was happening during the attack, and I thought…but it doesn't matter. Don't you see? If you have his heart, then there's still hope! I'm willing to help, of course. Just tell me what to do, and I'll do whatever it takes to bring Sora back."

Kairi was silent for a moment, but then she smiled weakly. "Naminé…you're a good friend."

Naminé blushed. "I…only just started to learn what a friend is," she admitted, "but…I've had some good teachers." She smiled, and Riku looked at the ground, feeling his cheeks grow hot. She didn't mean him, of course; she meant Sora, and Kairi and Roxas, probably.

Riku cleared his throat and stood up. "Okay. Naminé, you're right, we can help Sora – but we're going to have to think of a plan. We'll need to talk to DiZ and Mickey, and we'll need to get some leads on where Darkside might have taken him."

"Roxas too," said Naminé quietly.

Well…as frustrated as Riku was with Roxas, he couldn't just abandon him, either, he supposed. "Right, Roxas too," he agreed, trying not to sound reluctant. "But the first order of business is breakfast! If we're lucky, your oatmeal is still warm." He pointed a finger at Naminé. "Okay, you start eating, and take a spoonful of the medicine in the bottle DiZ put on the tray, and _you_ – " the finger turned to point at Kairi – "stay in bed, and I'll bring you a washcloth and some water. Once you're cleaned up and you've both had some food and medicine, we'll see if you're still hungry. Maybe I can get the kitchen to cough up some cinnamon rolls or something. Okay? First things first. You girls have to take care of yourselves and get better. It's great to see you awake and back to yourselves, but you're both still kinda weak, so you'd better take it easy." He folded his arms and looked at the girls sternly.

To Riku's annoyance, Kairi and Naminé exchanged glances and smiled. "Okay," said Kairi, "if you insist, Riku." She grinned at him. Despite his irritation, he had to admit that it was good to see her smile again.

Naminé nodded. "You go and get the wash water, and I'll get her oatmeal and the medicine."

Riku sighed. "All right then, but just remember, you're an invalid too, Naminé!"

Her smile turned mischievous. "An invalid? Hmm. Maybe I shouldn't mention what Queen Minnie says when you're not around, then."

"Whoa, wait. What does she say?"

"That you shouldn't push yourself the way you do. Even though it's been several weeks since you were bedridden, she still worries about your health."

Riku groaned, embarrassed. "I just took on three of those guys in the Organization and all the Nobodies they had to throw at me! And the queen thinks I need to take it easy?"

Naminé poked Riku in the arm as she reached for the breakfast tray. "Just don't do more than you're ready for." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "I know the darkness affected you more than you want to let on, Riku. Just…be careful, okay?"

Riku smiled in spite of himself. "I will." He headed for the door. "I'll be back in a moment." He shut the door behind him, realizing his cheeks felt warm again.

_Girls,_ he thought to himself, shaking his head as he walked down the hallway.

* * *

_I finally got this thing edited! It's been beta read and sitting on my hard drive for ages, and I've just been either too busy or uninspired to work on it. I have one more chapter written that I'm going to get beta read, and then we'll see if I can sort things out and start working on new chapters. Sorry I go through these long hiatuses now and then. Hopefully we'll see more of the story soon..._


	33. The Third Keyblade Master

_**The Road to Dawn**_  
_By Ariana Aislinn_  
_Chapter 33: The Third Keyblade Master_

_Happy New Year; I'm back! Just finished playing Re: Chain of Memories, and since the original CoM was what inspired me to begin this story, I think I'm ready for another round. I'm sorry it's been so long since I posted, over a year - 2008 was really, really busy for me. I managed to dig up an almost-finished chapter to post, but it'll be a bit before I have something new written. Don't worry though, it's on its way!_

_Standard disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts and its characters are the property of Square-Enix and Disney, not me._

* * *

The kitchen tried to veto the cinnamon roll idea, the head cook claiming that rich food was not good for the girls, but Riku loomed intimidatingly and managed to get his way. Not much later, the three of them sat together in Naminé's room, munching happily. Kairi stayed wrapped up in her blankets, as she was still too unsteady to get out of bed, but she already seemed to be feeling much better. Now that they'd passed on the most urgent news about their trip to Twilight Town, they were telling Riku of some of the other details of their visit.

"So, there's a _third_ Keyblade?" Riku gave a low whistle. "Just how many of these things are there, anyway? Is there a factory somewhere that makes them?"

Kairi covered a smile. "Well, DiZ says there's four of them, total – one for each world."

"There's a lot more than four worlds, though, Kairi."

She shook her head, waving her half-eaten cinnamon roll for emphasis. "No, I mean…universes, collections of worlds. Twilight Town is the central world of all those in the twilight universe. Then there's also our world, I mean our universe, and then the realms of Light and Darkness, too."

Riku nodded slowly. "Okay, I think I get it. So – Mickey found his Keyblade in the Word of Darkness, so that makes it the Keyblade of Darkness, right?"

"Yes. I don't think it _uses_ dark powers, though…I'm not sure I understand how it works."

"I bet we can ask him – he might know some things." Riku shrugged. "So does that mean Sora has the Keyblade of Light?"

Kairi shook her head. "No. DiZ says he has the Keyblade from our world."

"Oh." Riku scratched his head. "I sort of thought, what with him being the hero chosen by the light and all – but I guess that makes sense, since he got it in our world."

Naminé frowned. "I'm not sure that actually has anything to do with it."

"It seems to make sense, though. Didn't you say the Keyblade of Twilight came to Roxas in Twilight Town?"

"Yes, but…it didn't seem to fit, somehow." Naminé shook her head. "Roxas kind of said that he wasn't a _true_ Keyblade master. I guess he's just supposed to carry it for a while."

"Hmm." Riku frowned, remembering how Sora's Keyblade had come to him briefly, but it had not remained his. "I guess that does make sense." He took another bite of his cinnamon roll. "So who's supposed to wield the other two Keyblades, then?"

"I guess we'll find out eventually. In the meantime, we – " Kairi stopped.

Riku looked up mid-bite, swallowing quickly. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

Kairi nodded. She'd felt a sudden warmth in her chest. Her hand went to her pocket again, feeling for the reassuring touch of the star-shaped object that was hers and Sora's lucky charm. She pulled it out, turning it over in her hand with a sad smile. She blinked, however, realizing that there was something attached to the opposite side.

"What's that?" Naminé gestured curiously with her half-eaten cinnamon roll.

"I'm not sure." Kairi frowned thoughtfully, tugging gently at the black disc. It came away easily. She held it up to the light and peered at it, then shook her head. "There's nothing on it, just plain black. It glints a little in the light, but that's it."

"Here, let me look." Riku took the disc and held it up, peering at it through his blindfold. As he touched it, a soft tingle ran through his fingers. "Odd," he muttered. "It feels almost like the twilight."

"What do you mean?" asked Kairi.

"DiZ has been teaching me a little about using twilight powers. This…kinda has the same feel. Wait – hold on. Let me try something." He furrowed his brow, concentrating. A faint aura of twilight surrounded the disc, a weaker version of the magic he had used to cloak himself from the Nobodies' sight. As Riku looked at the small, black object, the light reacted strangely with the twilight magic, and he thought he could make out words. "Wait a second…there's something written here. It says – 'Door to Light.' Hey! I think you've really found something, Kairi!"

The warm feeling surged in Kairi's heart. There'd been no time, back in Twilight Town, and there had obviously been more that Sora needed to tell her – but somehow he'd managed to pass on his message in another way. _Thank you, Sora,_ she thought to herself. Aloud she said, "So what do we do with it?"

"We take it to DiZ." Riku held the disc up. "Do you mind if I keep it for now? I promise I'll bring it back when we find something out."

Kairi nodded. "Go ahead."

Riku stood, tucking the disc into his pocket. "All right then, I'm going to go speak to DiZ and the king. Mickey found something in the library he wanted to show me, anyway. It might be another clue we need. Will you two be all right?"

Naminé smiled, licking the last of the cinnamon off her fingers. "I think so. I have some drawings I'd like to finish, anyway."

Kairi nodded, covering a yawn. "I still feel jittery, but tired, too."

"Okay. Why don't you stay here and take a nap, Kairi?" Riku smiled softly. "I'll let you know as soon as we find anything."

"I'll stay with her," Naminé told him. Riku nodded his thanks and left the room, closing the door behind him.

Now alone together, the girls exchanged glances. Naminé sighed. "Has he always been like this?"

"What, trying to take charge and do everything himself?" Kairi smiled. "Pretty much." When Naminé grinned back, she plucked up the courage to ask, "Um…Naminé, have your memories returned yet? Roxas said they might come back a little on their own, so…"

"Oh." Naminé's voice was soft, and she stared at her hands, fingers interlaced in her lap. "Well…yes. I did get a lot of it back in Twilight Town, but I think the rest of the memories are mostly there now."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

The other girl was silent for a moment, but then she shrugged, meeting Kairi's gaze. "I suppose there's no reason not to. Some of it's a little hazy – as memories usually are from when you're small. I guess the only reason I remember as much as I do is because the memories were only recently restored, you know? Anyway…I remember waking up at home several days after the attack. There was a lot of confusion, and I remember lots of people were there – our neighbors, I think. The adults were all upset, and everyone was talking. Everyone was worried about me, but…I remember feeling fine. I don't think I was able to remember much at first, about what had happened." She sighed. "I guess it was a couple of weeks later when Darkside came for me."

Kairi shivered. "He came back?"

Naminé nodded. "My mother had taken Roxas out shopping, and a neighbor was at the house keeping an eye on me. Darkside appeared through a portal into my bedroom. I'm not sure how he was able to do so, but I think Ansem must have made the portal out of darkness."

"Darkside was working with Ansem?"

"_For_ him, I think, at least at first. I…don't know all the details of Darkside's plans, but I do know he still greatly reveres Ansem and his work. Most of the Organization believe they can restore their hearts using Ansem's research."

"But they're also looking for Seekers of Wisdom research."

Naminé nodded. "Right. They're leaving nothing to chance, and all of Organization Thirteen is fully aware that for all Ansem's power, he ultimately failed. Not all of them believe his research can help them. Darkside's faith in Ansem appears to be unswerving, however."

"So…Ansem sent Darkside to get you?"

"Well…so I assume. I don't know how else he could have made the portal." Naminé shrugged. "He dragged me away to an unfamiliar castle. There were people living there, but it seemed strangely empty, and there was a heavy storm raging outside. Darkside took me to a room filled with machines, and that's where I met Ansem. I remember that he – he scared me. A lot of it is fuzzy, but I think he did experiments and managed to discover my powers over memory." She looked at the floor. "I think…he got me to tell him about Roxas, and how he could affect memories, too."

Kairi remained silent, worry and sympathy in her expression.

"I don't remember much else until the night of the attack. I suppose you must have been in the castle, too, but I was never allowed to see you. But then…" She swallowed. "Storms came more and more often, and I could hear them outside, even though I wasn't allowed out of the wing where Ansem did his experiments. The Exes sometimes visited – I think they'd formed their own base by then, but some of the members would come to speak with Ansem from time to time. One of them was meeting with Darkside in the Great Hall, I think, and Ansem was working on something big, something important. The storm started getting worse, and then Axel came to get me." She swallowed. "He'd joined the Exes at some point after they arrived in Hollow Bastion – remember, he wasn't one of them in the original memory Roxas showed us. That was about when the Exes started wearing black leather coats and calling themselves Organization Thirteen. Anyway, Axel came running in, all dressed in black, and he just kind of grabbed my arm and hurried me out of the little room they kept me in. We went outside, and the storm scared me so badly I tried to hide in the folds of his coat. He mostly ignored me. He seemed really badly upset about something." Naminé's hands clenched. "He just kept marching me up the steps on the outside of the castle until we came to a balcony, and there – I saw the sky opening up into a huge portal of purple and black, and the Heartless started to pop up all around us. You were there too, Kairi, huddled against the wall with an old woman."

"My grandmother," Kairi said softly, her eyes wide as she listened.

"Yes." Naminé's voice caught. "Axel, he – he told me to erase your memory. Yours and your grandmother's." She closed her eyes tightly. "But it was strange. He wanted me to erase mostly just your memories of the castle, of Ansem's insane experiments, and of him."

"Him?"

"Axel. Axel wanted you and your grandmother to forget him."

Kairi frowned. That was certainly…strange. Did that mean she'd known Axel at some point in her past?

Naminé swallowed. "I'm not sure what happened when I erased your memory, but it knocked you both unconscious. Then Darkside showed up out of nowhere, and Axel just – stopped. He froze as soon as Darkside spoke, and then Darkside grabbed my arm and dragged me away – I remember shouting. A couple of teenagers who lived in the castle came running out and attacked the Heartless, but Darkside pulled me into the shadows before they saw him. Then…the storm was gone, and Darkside was pulling me through a portal of darkness." She shivered. "I remember that it hurt. The darkness wasn't pleasant, and I get the feeling it doesn't work very well to go through it to reach the Twilight Realm. That's probably why Darkside didn't come back for so long. It seemed to take a lot out of him."

"So he returned you to Twilight Town?"

"Just for a moment." Naminé's voice was tight. "Just long enough to…to force Roxas to take my memories."

"…Oh." Kairi looked uncomfortable.

"As soon as he'd taken control of Roxas and wiped my memory, he made another portal of darkness and took me away again. I think he would have taken Roxas too, but then DiZ showed up and drove him off…I think. I don't remember much after that; it gets really fuzzy. Later I remember another place, an Organization stronghold where I lived for maybe a couple years." She shrugged with a bitter smile. "You'd think I'd remember more, but I was only four. I think it was when I was six or so that they moved me to Castle Oblivion."

Kairi stared at her. "You lived alone in Castle Oblivion since you were _six?_"

Naminé nodded. "Yes. Members of the Organization would visit, making sure I was fed, and at least one was there at all times. The master of the castle changed from time to time. When Sora came to Castle Oblivion, Marluxia was in charge, and he'd lured Sora there as part of a plot to take control of Organization Thirteen."

Kairi shook her head. "No wonder you were so lonely," she said quietly. "No wonder you were willing to do what they said and alter Sora's memories."

Naminé merely nodded. They were both silent for a long while, the moments stretching out between them. Finally Naminé looked up. "So…now that I have my memories back, would you like me to try to restore yours? I think I could puzzle out how to do it, but it might take some time. I wouldn't want to rush something like this, because if I messed up – well, you wouldn't want me to do that." She sighed. "It would be a little easier if we had the pod room in Castle Oblivion, but I'm worried that the Organization may not have completely abandoned it, and using the pod would take time we don't have."

"No…no, it's okay." Kairi shook her head. "I'm not really sure I _want_ my memories back just yet." She shivered. "Not after the kinds of things you had to remember. I don't know if I'm ready to face that myself."

"I know – it's very difficult. It's just, Roxas said you'd need them…"

Kairi sighed. "Maybe I will, though I can't think why. Just…not yet, okay?"

Naminé smiled sadly. "I understand. Very well, I'll wait until till you're ready – but when you are, all you have to do is ask."

"Thank you." Kairi smiled in return.

* * *

An hour later, Naminé sat quietly at the table, finishing her latest sketch, the one of the young swordsman training in the orchards. Kairi had dozed off, so the only sounds in the room were those of her soft breathing and the scratch of Naminé's colored pencils. Occasional birdsong filtered in through the open window, along with the soft rush of the breeze. An urgent knock eventually broke the peaceful quiet, however, and Naminé quickly closed her sketchbook and got up to open the door.

Kairi sat up, rubbing her eyes sleepily as Riku burst in. "What…?"

"We figured out what the disc is, Kairi," he panted. "I think I know why Sora wanted to give it to you."

"What is it?" Naminé asked, her voice intense with curiosity.

Riku sank into a chair. He seemed to have run all the way here. "It's a sort of book. DiZ was able to figure out how to read it, using twilight magic and a combination of elements. We don't have a machine to play it back, but it uses some basic Seeker techniques and DiZ was able to cobble together a method to decipher it." He shook his head. "I didn't understand half of it, but Mickey and DiZ got all excited. It's a book about the Door to Light – but it also tells about the World of Light and the Keyblade of Light."

"We need to find that, don't we?" Kairi was fully awake now, and she swung her legs over the edge of the cot and leaned forward eagerly. "Let me guess – all four Keyblades are needed to open the Door to Light."

Riku nodded. "You got it. We've got three already – or at least we know where they are." He frowned. "We're going to have to get Sora's body back and find Roxas to get their Keyblades."

They were all silent for a moment, none of them looking at each other. Finally Naminé broke the silence. "So where is the Keyblade of Light?" she asked, her voice carefully controlled. "How do we find it?"

Riku shrugged. "Well, it's not gonna be easy…and it's not all we need, either. Just as the princesses of heart were needed to open the Door to Darkness, we need them to open the Door to Light, too. See, the Keyblade masters have to use Keyblades to focus the power of light on the Door. To do that, they need people with especially pure hearts to help them harness and direct that power." He sighed. "They also need the one Keyblade master who is destined to open the door once it's unlocked, or it'll stay sealed. But first things first. The people with especially pure hearts have got to be the princesses."

"So we go looking for them," said Kairi, her expression determined.

"Yeah…but not yet." Riku grinned. "We've already got one of them right here, and she needs to stay in bed for another day or two."

Kairi scowled and stuck her tongue out at him, but Riku only laughed.

"Having the princesses won't do us much good if we don't have the Keyblade of Light, though," pressed Naminé.

"Maybe not…but we also need them to _find_ the Keyblade of Light. It's not like the other Keyblades. It won't just come to its bearer, and the Keyblade master will need the help of the princesses to find it."

"Then…that means we need to find the bearer of the Keyblade of Light," said Naminé thoughtfully.

Riku grinned. "No need. The disc didn't exactly say, but…well, the Keyblade of Light has to be used by one of those with a pure heart. I've got a feeling Sora knew exactly what he was doing when he gave that disc to you, Kairi."

Kairi started to open her mouth to ask what he was talking about, but she stopped. The warmth in her chest grew, and suddenly she knew. "…I'm the Keyblade master. The Keyblade of Light is for me to find, isn't it?"

Riku nodded. "That's what DiZ and Mickey think. I'm sure that's what Sora thought, too."

"Then…as soon as Kairi's better, she has her own journey to go on." Naminé gave a determined nod. "I'm going with her."

"Not yet, you aren't." Riku shook his head. "You're both staying here until you're well enough to travel, and then Mickey will help you on your way."

Kairi blinked. "Wait – you're not coming with us?"

"No," Riku told them grimly. "I'm going to find Roxas. He has the Keyblade of Twilight, after all, and we still need to find its true master. Besides, where we find Roxas…you can bet that's where Sora will be, too. I'm going to go out there and find him, and then we're going to bring him back – no matter what it takes."

* * *

_I don't want to ramble on too much about the remake of CoM, but it was really quite good. If you liked the original CoM, you'll probably love this one. It wasn't as good as KH1 or KH2, of course, but it definitely had plenty of "squee" moments for me. There were a few new tidbits that may or may not make it into my fic, if I can find a way - especially stuff from Reverse/Rebirth mode. We'll see! If you get the chance, be sure to pick up the remake._


End file.
